Supreme court to resolve missing persons and enforced disappearances

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court to solve missing persons and enforced disappearances “once and for all”.

At the outset of the hearing the CJP said “This country belongs to all of us, even those who may have other points of view”.

“This matter will only be resolved when we all work together and take responsibility. Let’s make Pakistan strong from within. If Pakistan is strong from within, no outside forces can touch it.”

The chief justice said what is happening (missing persons and enforced disappearances) in Pakistan does not happen anywhere in the world, insisted that all parties must “accept responsibility” in this matter.

The hearing was presided over by CJP Isa with Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar completing the three-member bench. The proceedings were broadcast live on the apex court’s website and national news channels.

The Supreme court bench was hearing a set of petitions for missing persons and enforced disappearences ,including one plea was filed by former senator and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan. PTI’s lawyer Shoaib Shaheen appeared in absence of Aitazaz Ahsan.

PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan plea only concerning political personalities

PTI’s Advocate Shoaib Shaheen raised the matter of the disappearances of several political leaders of PTI and its supporters, including Usman Dar, Sheikh Rasheed, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Azam Swati and others.

In the hearing anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan’s enforced disapperence also discussed – to which the CJP pointed that pick and choose norm might not help as there were cases of journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor, which were clearly disregarded in these petitions.

The CJP were also surprised while there is a sit-in (baloch yakjehti committee) in Islamabad,but the petitioners in the case ignored it entirely in the hearing.The court also asked the full details of the number of people missing since 2001.

The top judge pointed out that the petitions filed by Ahsan reflected a “political” inclination while raising the issue of enforced disappearances, as those named “disappeared” in the petitions were all politicians from a single political party (PTI) (as the petition ignored all those disappered or missing from all walks of life).

The CJP Isa asked if all the individuals (PTI leaders) mentioned by the (PTI) counsel had become petitioners to the case, and if not, why was the counsel trying to politicise the case, adding that the apex court is approaching the issue with utmost seriousness above from any political inclination.

Adjourning the hearing till 11:30am tomorrow Jan 3 (Wednesday) the CJP said the Attorney General for Pakistan be told to appear before the court tomorrow and briefed on today’s proceedings.