ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, directed the federal government to provide a written undertaking signed by senior officials from relevant ministries, ensuring that future apprehensions would strictly adhere to the law. This directive came during the court’s hearing of petitions related to missing persons.
The three-member bench, also comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, ordered the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to furnish details about the missing individuals.
The court instructed the Commission to compile and submit information, including names, parentage, and addresses of the missing persons, along with details of those reporting their disappearance, dates of disappearance, individuals in government during that time, recovery status, efforts made to locate the missing persons, and information on those for whom production orders were issued but not complied with.
Additionally, the court recommended disclosing the budget, staff, and resources of the commission in line with the people’s right to information under Article 19A of the Constitution.
Regarding a petition by lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, the court acknowledged its focus on missing persons but clarified that individuals who had returned home cannot be classified as missing persons, and Ahsan is not authorized to represent them. The court directed the office to number Aitzaz Ahsan’s petition.
Addressing recent incidents of police violence against Baloch protestors in Islamabad, the court expressed strong disapproval, emphasizing the importance of honoring the fundamental right to peaceful protest.
The court noted its exception to the high-handed treatment of families protesting missing persons during the court’s winter vacations and stressed the need to respect this fundamental right in both letter and spirit.
