Missing persons’ case: SC seeks explanation over delay in compensation
Secret agency denies keeping missing persons in detention.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court has summoned the interior secretary on October 20 to explain why heirs of missing persons have not received compensation despite repeated directives to the government.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Shakirullah Jan referred another four chronic cases of enforced disappearances to the judicial commission constituted for tracing missing persons on Thursday. Their names are Attiqur Rehman, Dr Abdi Sharif, Mansoor Ahmed and Abdul Karim Mehmood.
Additional Attorney General KK Agha presented a secret agency’s statement to the bench in which it has denied keeping Attiqur Rehman and others in detention. However, Attiq’s sister informed the bench that he was being detained by the agencies, according to former interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat.
Agha submitted before the bench that discussions were being held with interior ministry officials to decide a formula for awarding compensation to heirs of missing persons. “No discussion is required after the court’s verdict,” said Justice Shakirullah Jan and issued a notice to the interior secretary to explain the delay.
A day earlier, Agha had claimed, “A committee has been formed to pay compensation to missing persons’ families in line with the apex court’s directives.”
The bench had referred 252 cases to the judicial commission for missing persons and had directed the government to ensure that compensation was paid to their heirs within a week, on an earlier hearing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2011.
The Supreme Court has summoned the interior secretary on October 20 to explain why heirs of missing persons have not received compensation despite repeated directives to the government.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Shakirullah Jan referred another four chronic cases of enforced disappearances to the judicial commission constituted for tracing missing persons on Thursday. Their names are Attiqur Rehman, Dr Abdi Sharif, Mansoor Ahmed and Abdul Karim Mehmood.
Additional Attorney General KK Agha presented a secret agency’s statement to the bench in which it has denied keeping Attiqur Rehman and others in detention. However, Attiq’s sister informed the bench that he was being detained by the agencies, according to former interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat.
Agha submitted before the bench that discussions were being held with interior ministry officials to decide a formula for awarding compensation to heirs of missing persons. “No discussion is required after the court’s verdict,” said Justice Shakirullah Jan and issued a notice to the interior secretary to explain the delay.
A day earlier, Agha had claimed, “A committee has been formed to pay compensation to missing persons’ families in line with the apex court’s directives.”
The bench had referred 252 cases to the judicial commission for missing persons and had directed the government to ensure that compensation was paid to their heirs within a week, on an earlier hearing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2011.