ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar remarked that non-state actors in Balochistan were implicated in human rights violations, yet rights organizations had neglected to condemn their actions.
The Islamabad High Court addressed the issue of enforced disappearances on Wednesday, summoning the caretaker prime minister for clarification.
Kakar dutifully appeared before the court and denounced enforced disappearances, stating that only someone foolish and ignorant would advocate for such practices. “Who would be so foolish as to support enforced disappearances?” he questioned.
He emphasized that ordinary citizens in Balochistan were being targeted by non-state actors, citing a recent incident where individuals were horrifically burnt alive on the Coastal Highway.
Kakar urged rights organizations to denounce the actions of non-state actors, expressing concern over the silence surrounding killings on ethnic grounds.
Highlighting the presence of armed insurgency in Balochistan, Kakar mentioned the assassination of a former chief justice post-retirement, emphasizing that no sovereign nation would tolerate the existence of armed groups within its borders.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani presided over the case proceedings.
During the formal hearing, Attorney General Mansoor Usman began presenting his arguments.
The court interrupted him to inquire if there were additional cases of disappearances since the previous list was submitted.
The attorney general informed the court that the original list contained 12 individuals, of whom three were still missing, while nine were located in the custody of the CTD.
Regarding another list comprising 26 individuals, the attorney general disclosed that at least two were discovered in Afghanistan.
