ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa rebuked senior lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shoaib Shaheen for engaging in ‘political point-scoring’ during a hearing on the missing persons case.
The three-member bench, headed by the CJP, was addressing a case related to forced disappearances, with plaintiff Khushdil Khan seeking a commission to recover missing persons.
During the hearing, the CJP asserted that the court cannot direct Parliament for legislation, and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar mentioned that a commission is already working on the recovery of missing persons.
Shoaib Shaheen, representing the petitioner, raised objections from the Registrar’s Office, to which CJP Qazi Faez Isa clarified that the bench had rejected those objections as the matter was of public interest.
Shoaib Shaheen then raised the issue of PTI leaders, including Sheikh Rasheed, Sadaqat Abbasi, and others, who were allegedly abducted, bringing it before the court.
The CJP cautioned against political point-scoring on the matter and asked if those individuals would become parties in the missing persons case.
Further, Shoaib Shaheen alleged that a bill regarding missing persons, moved by the then-Human Rights minister Shireen Mazari, had gone missing from the Senate.
The CJP expressed concern over serious allegations and questioned what actions were taken after the bill went missing. He inquired if Mazari had resigned and pointed out the lack of accountability in such cases.
Upon asking why Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani was not made a respondent in the case for ‘misplacing’ the bill, Shaheen explained that it was added to the plea as background information.
The CJP adjourned the hearing until the next day and summoned the Attorney General of Pakistan to appear before the court.
