Missing persons’ case: Court handed secret report on missing persons

Defence officials suggest formation of a fact finding commission; no headway possible in the case.

ISLAMABAD:

The defence authorities had submitted a secret report in the case of 35 missing persons in the Supreme Court last week requesting its confidentiality.

The sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that no headway was possible in the 35 missing persons’ case. Formation of a fact finding commission has also been proposed in the report, they added.

One day before his retirement, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry handed down a written order in this case and the order asked the prime minister and chief executives of the provinces to ensure recovery of all missing persons.

The court also suggested strict action against those involved in this illegal practice, while officially declaring prolonged and unannounced detention by security forces and intelligence outfits illegal. The defence authorities hinted to challenge this order of the apex court.

The judgment also highlighted that army authorities’ claim that the 35 missing persons were not in their custody proved to be false as they had made three contradictory statements before the court and presented only seven missing persons.

Inaam Rahim, a retired colonel from Pakistan Army’s legal branch, has been pursuing cases of several missing persons in different courts. Rahim told The Express Tribune that the relevant authorities failed to comply with the written orders of the court and contempt of court proceedings can be initiated against them.

He said that a new committee has been formed under Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif to trace the missing persons. But a commission on enforced disappearance has already been working on these cases. The new committee is also an attempt to hush up all such cases, he added.

The missing persons’ relatives are also seeking their representation in the new proposed committee. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered for the new committee. Attorney General of Pakistan, interior and defence secretaries will also be members of the committee that can summon any official of the intelligence agency, Rahim said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2013.