A three-judge bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Sair Ali yesterday rejected the government’s report on missing persons case and ordered them to re-submit an updated copy.
Justice Jawed Iqbal termed the government’s report as a mere ‘paperwork’. Justice Sair Ali has said ,
“the reports showed the level of interest the government was taking in the case and its proceedings. “
Attorney General Anwar Mansoor, recommended the court to constitute a commission for the recovery of missing persons but Justice Javed Iqbal asked the Attorney-General to present an example of a positive outcome from any government commission. He expressed his dissatisfaction over the proposal, saying “since 1947, 31 commissions have been set up so far, but not even a single one can be termed satisfactory except the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report of 1972.”
AG Anwar Mansoor said that he would consult the Prime Minister in this regard.
Justice Javed Iqbal warned that the court should not be regarded as a weak institution, and said that the court can order action against the culprits with a strike of pen only.
On 6th February,2010, Interior Minister Rehman Malik asked officials of law enforcement agencies and provincial governments to expedite investigations into the cases of missing persons after registering FIRs. He asked them to make serious efforts to trace the whereabouts of all missing persons.
Later this month Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had directed the Interior Minister Rehman Malik to take concrete and immediate steps for the early recovery of missing persons from the province of Baluchistan.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has also directed the interior minister to ensure early recovery of the missing persons.
Over 400 cases have been reported since 2002 by The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; and hundreds more are estimated to be missing .
This three-judge bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Sair Ali, has been hearing the cases of missing persons for four years on petitions filed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Defence of Human Rights and former PPP senator Farhatullah Babar.
