PHC chief justice hopes 2012 is year of recovery

Missing persons’ plight tops the agenda of lawyers’ gathering.

PESHAWAR:

The issue of missing persons remained on top of the agenda even on a day when lawyers observed a black day all over the country to mark the March 9, 2007 ouster of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by former President Pervez Musharraf.

A gathering in this regard was held at the bar room of Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Addressing the lawyers, Chief Justice PHC Dost Muhammad Khan said handling the issue of hundreds of missing persons was a tough task but expressed optimism that the year 2012 will be the year of recovery of all the missing persons.

Expressing deep concern over the missing persons issue CJ PHC said “it was now the duty of the judiciary to take action against each and every one found guilty of violating law and basic rights of people, adding no one was above the law and all should be treated on the basis of equality”.

“The number of missing persons released during the past three months in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was far more than the total number of missing persons released across the country,” he added. Prominent lawyers also addressed the gathering where a resolution of appreciation was passed to pay tribute to the PHC Chief Justice.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2012.