Missing persons’ families demand speaker’s intervention
Say he is meant to be an impartial bridge between public, government
Protesters demand release of missing persons in a demonstration outside the K-P Assembly building. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
The families of missing persons protested outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday under the banner of Defence of Human Rights (DHR) and Public Service Trust.
“The families cannot forget their missing [relatives] so the ban on publishing news about missing persons is not a solution to the issue,” DHR Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua said while addressing the participants. She added the aim of the protest is to bring the issue to the notice of K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Qaisar as the speaker was an impartial authority and a bridge between the public and the government, said Janjua. “The number of those missing has reached over a thousand in K-P while the land of the province is also used to provide shelter to kidnappers.” The chairperson said all the doors (to justice) have been locked.
“The Supreme Court of Pakistan is silent over the issue and the K-P government does not follow the directives of Peshawar High Court on the matter.”
She said so far they are protesting in a peaceful manner but if their demands are not fulfilled they will be compelled to start a sit-in against the government.
The protest was attended by people from across the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2015.
The families of missing persons protested outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Thursday under the banner of Defence of Human Rights (DHR) and Public Service Trust.
“The families cannot forget their missing [relatives] so the ban on publishing news about missing persons is not a solution to the issue,” DHR Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua said while addressing the participants. She added the aim of the protest is to bring the issue to the notice of K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Qaisar as the speaker was an impartial authority and a bridge between the public and the government, said Janjua. “The number of those missing has reached over a thousand in K-P while the land of the province is also used to provide shelter to kidnappers.” The chairperson said all the doors (to justice) have been locked.
“The Supreme Court of Pakistan is silent over the issue and the K-P government does not follow the directives of Peshawar High Court on the matter.”
She said so far they are protesting in a peaceful manner but if their demands are not fulfilled they will be compelled to start a sit-in against the government.
The protest was attended by people from across the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2015.