Major setback: ‘Missing’ persons’ cell likely to be closed down
Cell formed by ex-attorney general had helped trace over 800 ‘missing’ persons.
Cell formed by ex-attorney general had helped trace over 800 ‘missing’ persons. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Under the immense pressure of the Ministry of Defence, the ‘missing’ persons’ cell in the office of the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) seems to have been shut down after the transfer of Additional AG Tariq Khokhar, sources revealed to The Express Tribune.
After taking charge as the AGP, Munir A Malik had formed a ‘missing’ persons’ cell, which comprised two lawyers – Additional AGP Tariq Khokhar and former AG consultant Faisal Siddiqui. Malik was himself supervising the cell, which was formed with the purpose of tracing out and discovering enforced disappearances.
The sources in the AGP said that since July 2013, after the formation of this cell as well as Supreme Court’s daily proceedings, more than 800 missing persons were traced in different internment centres and as many as 100 families met with their loved ones detained in those centres.
The cell also gathered the total number of the persons missing from all over the country and sent a proposed draft bill on the ‘missing’ persons’ issue. The AGP’s cell had also recommended to the government to deal with Balochistan’s ‘missing’ persons issue separately, sources said.
“After the resignation of Munir A Malik and his junior associate Faisal Siddiqui, Tariq Khokhar was running the cell in the AGP office alone and due to his efforts, seven ‘missing’ persons were recovered in the last 10 days,” one of the sources said, adding that the defence ministry officials were annoyed with his conduct and alleged that Khokhar did not defend the role of spy agencies aggressively before the court.
They were also upset over his argument before the court that enforced disappearances were a crime against humanity, he added.
Earlier, the defence ministry had requested to transfer cases from Khokhar to any other senior law officer, but former AGP Munir A Malik had rejected its plea.
The defence ministry had written a letter to the former AGP, saying that Khokhar had misquoted the defence secretary about a fact which was never stated by him in the ‘missing’ persons’ case.
“The conduct of the additional AG is against professional ethics and may cause damage to the service interest. This has caused a lack of trust in the AAG,” the letter further said. In response to this letter, Khokhar had submitted a written reply to the former AGP, claiming that the contents of the ministry’s letter were incorrect.
Meanwhile, the AAGP Shah Khawar on Monday appeared before a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, in the three ‘missing’ persons’ cases.
It is learnt that the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Umar Ata Bandial has already initiated Shah Khawar’s name as the
LHC judge and he would likely to be appointed as judge in next month; therefore, his assistance would be temporary in the ‘missing’ persons’ cases.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2014.
Under the immense pressure of the Ministry of Defence, the ‘missing’ persons’ cell in the office of the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) seems to have been shut down after the transfer of Additional AG Tariq Khokhar, sources revealed to The Express Tribune.
After taking charge as the AGP, Munir A Malik had formed a ‘missing’ persons’ cell, which comprised two lawyers – Additional AGP Tariq Khokhar and former AG consultant Faisal Siddiqui. Malik was himself supervising the cell, which was formed with the purpose of tracing out and discovering enforced disappearances.
The sources in the AGP said that since July 2013, after the formation of this cell as well as Supreme Court’s daily proceedings, more than 800 missing persons were traced in different internment centres and as many as 100 families met with their loved ones detained in those centres.
The cell also gathered the total number of the persons missing from all over the country and sent a proposed draft bill on the ‘missing’ persons’ issue. The AGP’s cell had also recommended to the government to deal with Balochistan’s ‘missing’ persons issue separately, sources said.
“After the resignation of Munir A Malik and his junior associate Faisal Siddiqui, Tariq Khokhar was running the cell in the AGP office alone and due to his efforts, seven ‘missing’ persons were recovered in the last 10 days,” one of the sources said, adding that the defence ministry officials were annoyed with his conduct and alleged that Khokhar did not defend the role of spy agencies aggressively before the court.
They were also upset over his argument before the court that enforced disappearances were a crime against humanity, he added.
Earlier, the defence ministry had requested to transfer cases from Khokhar to any other senior law officer, but former AGP Munir A Malik had rejected its plea.
The defence ministry had written a letter to the former AGP, saying that Khokhar had misquoted the defence secretary about a fact which was never stated by him in the ‘missing’ persons’ case.
“The conduct of the additional AG is against professional ethics and may cause damage to the service interest. This has caused a lack of trust in the AAG,” the letter further said. In response to this letter, Khokhar had submitted a written reply to the former AGP, claiming that the contents of the ministry’s letter were incorrect.
Meanwhile, the AAGP Shah Khawar on Monday appeared before a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, in the three ‘missing’ persons’ cases.
It is learnt that the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Umar Ata Bandial has already initiated Shah Khawar’s name as the
LHC judge and he would likely to be appointed as judge in next month; therefore, his assistance would be temporary in the ‘missing’ persons’ cases.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2014.