Spy agency told to brief court on missing person

Justice Kayani says no compensation can alleviate pain of affected family

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the country's top spy agency to brief it in an in-camera session about the whereabouts of a citizen, Omar Abdullah, who went missing from Islamabad nearly ten years ago.

The capital's high court, while noting that either the deputy director general or a sector commander of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could give the briefing, instructed the authorities to inform it by October 6 as to which officer will appear.

An IHC bench comprising senior puisne judge Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the order on Friday while hearing a petition filed by Zainab Zaeem, the wife of Omar Abdullah.

The judge said ISI officers should simply tell the court whether the person has been killed, gone abroad, or is in hiding. He added that it would be acceptable if five ISI officers appeared, since the account of a single officer might not be sufficient.

"This is in fact the job of parliament to address the issue of missing persons but parliament has closed its eyes. At some stage, these matters will move towards criminal proceedings," he remarked.

During the hearing, the court was informed that an assistance amount of Rs5 million had been transferred into the affected family's account. The Ministry of Defence and the additional attorney general presented the online transfer receipt in court.

Justice Kayani further observed that financial compensation cannot ease the family's grief.

"The state does not lack money but the problem will not be solved this way. A person has been missing for 10 years, and after 7 years a decision has been made.

"It must be disclosed where the missing person is. Is he in a prison in Afghanistan? It must be clarified whether he is alive or dead," he said.