SC constitutes special bench to supervise commission on enforced disappearance

Top court wonders why security agencies failed to produce missing persons despite production orders

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court constituted a two-member special bench on Wednesday to supervise the proceedings of the inquiry commission on enforced disappearance.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, took the decision during the hearing of the suo motu case.

During the hearing, the Justice Nisar inquired why security agencies have failed to produce missing persons despite the issuance of production orders.



Recalling a meeting he had chaired on the matter, which was also attended by the heads of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI), the chief justice said it had been decided that the representatives of intelligence agencies in the commission will be of a brigadier's rank or above.

“There is significant progress in the commission regarding the recovery of missing persons, therefore, all such cases should be referred to it,” he said and added that another high-level meeting on the matter will be convened.



Amina Masood Janjua, the representative of missing persons, requested the apex court to have a supervisory role in the matter and asked to attend the meeting.

Accepting her plea, the top court constituted a two-member bench comprising Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Justice Sardar Tariq Masood to supervise and hear the missing persons case.