ISLAMABAD: Of the 8,463 civilians missing since March 2011, only 3,284 have returned home, revealed a report submitted by the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances implemented to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday.
The report in a case filed by the heirs of missing persons was submitted by the Registrar of the Commission.
The commission – set up in 2011 to trace missing persons and fix the responsibility on the responsible individuals or organizations – revealed that the institutions concerned did not produce detainees in 550 cases, despite issuing production orders.
The report said that during the nearly eleven years from March 2011 to February 28, 2022, the commission received 8,463 complaints about forced disappearances. Out of these cases, it has disposed of 6,214 cases, while 2,249 cases are under investigation.
IHC chief justice says commission only playing post office in case of forced disappearances
The report said 3,284 missing people have been traced and have returned home.
In addition, 228 people are reported to have been killed in “encounters etc.” and “the police concerned has filed an FIR on behalf of the state and the law takes its own course”.
In addition, 946 people were reported to be confined in detention centers under the “Action (Aid to Civilian Powers) Regulations, 2011. Periodic meetings of apprentices with families are organized by the quarters concerned”, it said. 584 people were reported to have been lodged in jails as undertrials on terrorism and criminal charges.
The report said that after a thorough investigation, 1,178 cases were found to be “not of forced disappearance” because in these cases “missing persons either left on their own” or that these cases were “kidnapping for ransom or personal enmity”. are related to.
The report said that the main reasons for the increasing number of missing people between 2007 and 2009 were a military operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), frequent drone strikes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and illegal crossing of the Afghan border by some. Had to cross To take part in the war against the United States.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that preliminary evidence showed that the commission had failed to discharge its responsibility as the report indicated that it was assuming the role of a sole post office.
The court found that the purpose of the commission was to advise the federal government on how to counter the threat of forced disappearances. However, the commission had not sent any proposal since its inception in 2011, Justice Minallah said.
He remarked that the commission did not take any action against anyone responsible for the forced disappearance.
Counsel for the petitioners submitted that the families of the victims are facing social and financial difficulties.
Advocate Raja Mushtaq told the court about his two sons who went missing in 2016 outside Islamic International University Islamabad. The commission issued orders to produce their sons but to no avail.
Advocate Enamur Rahim told the court that the chairman of the commission had powers equal to that of a high court judge, but he did not exercise this power even to execute production orders.
The court appointed senior advocate Faisal Sadiq as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the case and adjourned the hearing till April 1.
Justice Minallah directed the commission to submit the report of retired Justice Kamal Mansoor Alam regarding the missing persons by the next hearing.
Published in Dawn, March 12, 2022