Enforced Disappearances
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has voiced grave concerns regarding the ongoing disappearance of two brothers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Azhar Mashwani, during a hearing held on Tuesday.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, presiding over the case, expressed his dismay, stating that the government appears to be the beneficiary of enforced disappearances, as individuals continue to vanish without a trace, and the Chief Executive takes no decisive action.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Azhar Mashwani’s father, who is seeking the recovery of his two missing sons. The brothers have been missing since June, and the lack of progress in their case has raised serious concerns about the government’s role in such incidents.
The hearing was attended by Additional Attorney General Manzoor Iqbal Dogal and the petitioner’s lawyer, Babar Awan, who both presented their arguments before the court.
During the proceedings, Justice Aurangzeb inquired about the progress of the investigation. The Additional Attorney General responded by stating that high-level contacts had been made, and efforts to locate the missing brothers were ongoing.
However, the court found this response unsatisfactory, especially given the prolonged nature of the case.
Babar Awan, representing the petitioner, emphasized the ambiguity surrounding the term “national interest” within Pakistani law.
He argued that while laws exist to address sedition and incitement, there is a noticeable lack of clarity regarding what constitutes “national interest,” which often leads to misuse.
Awan expressed confidence that the missing brothers would eventually be found but criticized the slow pace of the investigation.
The Punjab Police, represented by the SP, provided an update on the investigation, informing the court that they had received CCTV footage from the family.
However, the low resolution of the footage made it impossible to identify the individuals involved through NADRA or forensic analysis.
The police had also obtained geolocation data from 10,000 phone numbers in an attempt to trace the missing persons, but no substantial leads were found.
Additionally, the Safe City Project, which could have provided crucial surveillance footage, does not cover all necessary angles, further complicating the investigation.
Justice Aurangzeb expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that the government seems to benefit from the ongoing enforced disappearances.
He questioned how it is possible for people to be abducted within the country without any subsequent action from the Chief Executive. The Justice also reminded the court that the Attorney General had previously assured that the Prime Minister would be briefed on the matter.
Despite this assurance, the disappearances continue unabated, raising doubts about the government’s commitment to addressing such grave issues.
In response, Babar Awan pointed out that the Prime Minister appears to have little time to read the court’s orders, further highlighting the lack of attention given to the issue at the highest levels of government.
After hearing all the arguments, the court ordered the Punjab Police to submit a comprehensive report on the progress of the investigation by the next hearing.
The case was subsequently adjourned until the following Tuesday, leaving the fate of the missing brothers still uncertain and the concerns about enforced disappearances in Pakistan unresolved.
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