ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has formed a larger bench to address cases of missing persons.
This decision follows the conclusion of the plea seeking the recovery of the missing poet Ahmed Farhad on June 7.
During this hearing, IHC Judge Mohsin Akhtar Kiani expressed his intention to request the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to establish a larger bench to handle cases involving missing persons.
This move aims to ensure a comprehensive review of the positions taken by various parties.
The newly constituted bench will be headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and will include Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir.
The larger bench is scheduled to start hearing cases of missing persons from July 30. It is important to note that the Chief Justice will not be part of this bench.
In a related development, the Defence Ministry was informed that 98 cases of missing persons are still pending in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Deputy Attorney General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah, submitted a report on the status of missing persons cases to the Defence Ministry.
According to the report, 226 cases were resolved between February 1 and May 24, highlighting efforts to expedite the resolution of these cases.
The report also notes that the Missing Person Commission had disposed of 3,793 cases out of a total of 6,051 cases by 2019.
The Commission’s report indicated that up to the end of March that year, a total of 5,915 reports had been received by the Missing Person Commission of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
An additional 136 cases were received by the Commission in one month, bringing the total number of cases to 6,051.
The Deputy Attorney General emphasized the importance of ensuring that these cases are decided swiftly, reflecting the ongoing efforts to address the issue of missing persons in the region.
This move by the IHC to form a larger bench is a significant step in ensuring that multiple judges can thoroughly review and adjudicate these critical cases, providing a more robust judicial process for the families and individuals affected.
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