The Islamabad High Court (IHC) summoned the Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on September 9 over the issue of the missing persons, reports The Balochistan Post. The IHC said that making people disappear is the “biggest form of torture” and that the chief executive of Pakistan will be held responsible in case of enforced disappearance. PM Shehbaz told the court that: “I cannot say that all of the missing persons will be recovered, but we will leave no stone unturned. I will not give any lame excuse.” PM made these remarks before the IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah during September 9’s hearing of petitions seeking the recovery of six missing persons. At the last hearing, the chief justice had directed PM Shehbaz to ensure the missing persons whose cases were being heard in the IHC were produced before the court before September 9. The IHC warned that the failure to do so would require the PM to appear in person in court and give an explanation.
Addressing the PM, the Chief Justice said the court had ordered the Federal Cabinet multiple times on the issue, but its “response had not been what it should be.” In an apparent reference to Military Dictator Parvez Musharraf, Justice Minallah said: “A chief executive ruled in this country for nine years. He proudly wrote in his book that we sold our people to foreign countries.” The chief justice noted that the Federal Government had also constituted a committee – a body that was set up in May this year following the IHC’s orders to “deliberate a policy on enforced disappearances.” The chief justice also mentioned the missing persons’ commission, saying: “The families of missing persons are sitting here. They revealed a lot of things about the commission,” he said, adding that Defence of Human Rights in Pakistan Chairperson Amina Masood Janjua had “also told much about the commission to the court”.
Instead of addressing the problems of the families of missing persons, Justice Minallah said, the commission continued “torturing” them. He said the court had also been told about the reservations of the Baloch students. Justice Minallah said the state should fulfil its responsibility toward its citizens. “The political leadership has to solve this issue,” he said. “The court has no other way but to only ask the executive [about the issue].” He questioned who the court should hold accountable for enforced disappearances. To this, the premier replied it was his duty.