Recovery of missing persons: SC seeks details from commission

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought details from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances about the measures taken so far for the recovery of missing persons.

A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, heard a petition filed by the spouse of one missing person Naveed Butt. The court directed the additional attorney general to take details from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances regarding the recovery of missing persons.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for the missing person alleged that Naveed Butt was picked up by security agencies. Justice Umer Ata Bandial observed that in a report regarding the said missing person, a reference of a news item was given and according to that news report some five people were killed in Afghanistan, including the petitioner’s spouse.

The judge observed it is a fact that during the Afghan Jihad, people used to go to Afghanistan from Pakistan for Jihad. Justice Bandial observed that on May 11, 2012, the spouse of the petitioner got missing and according to the petitioner, her spouse was picked up by the security agencies.

Justice Bandial said that apart from the apex court, the petitioner had also approached other forums, adding that on May 15, 2013, the apex court had disposed of the matter after referring it to the Commission on Inquiry for Enforced Disappearances.

Justice Bandial observed that the ISI and MI in its replies had stated that neither they had picked up the said missing person nor he was under their custody. "It’s a case of human lives, however, at the moment, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was not a party before the court in this case,” Justice Bandial observed.

The counsel for the petitioner, however, submitted that the news item published in a newspaper was not verified, adding that it was baseless and concocted. He contended that even the commission in its verdict had termed the said news item baseless. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.