Status of 3 out of 33 missing persons known: Defense Secy
ISLAMABAD: The acting defence secretary told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that the status of three missing persons is known now, one of the three named Habibullah left Peshawar and went abroad on...
December 03, 2013
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Ifikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Ameer Hani Muslim heard the case today.
Despite repeated SC directions, the authorities concerned could not produce 33 missing persons before the court. The court directed the authorities to produce them by 11:30am today or the law would take its own course. The deadline was further extended to another hour during today’s hearing.
The court had also instructed to submit a report pertaining to the First Information Report (FIR) against those responsible for the death of two missing persons at an internment centre.
During today’s proceedings, the acting defence secretary revealed that the status of three out of 33 missing persons is known now. One of them, Habiabullah, left the country on December 18, 2012 after he was released from the rehabilitation centre. He, then, pleaded the court not to ask about the identity of the remaining two, as it could pose serious security concerns to them.
Replying to this, the CJ remarked that knowing the whereabouts of only three out of 33 is no progress. The Chief Justice, then, ordered the secretary to submit a written record detailing that where these persons were kept and when they were released.
The acting defence secretary told the bench that recovery of the missing persons is a threatening process. He further told that the post mortem reports of the deceased persons named Sardar Ali and Nasir Khan revealed that they died natural death.
CJ Iftikhar instructed him to register the FIR against the responsible persons and to include the doctors who performed the autopsy in the investigation process.
On the occasion, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the court that he got only four days’ time and the whereabouts of the five missing persons were ascertained. He said that he held consultations with the prime minister and the army chief, and assured the court that the disappeared persons will be recovered and cases will be registered against those responsible.
He further said that they will put an end to the extra constitutional traditions.
Before the hearing today, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif held a meeting with Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and took him into confidence regarding the briefing given by the defence authorities.
The Prime Minster instructed the minister over the missing persons’ case.
On the other hand, the FC has also presented it’s stance on the absence of its personnel before the DG CID in Quetta, according to which seven personnel were never the part of FC, three went back to Army which is not under FC while the remaining four could not be identified due to insufficient details.
It may be mentioned that the court had ordered 19 FC personnel to appear before the DG CID.
On Monday, Attorney General Munir A Malik told the court that two out of the 35 missing persons had died. At this, the chief justice remarked that death under the custody of an agency was murder and ordered that the remaining 33 persons be presented in the court on today.
Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif told the apex court that the government was formulating laws regarding missing persons.
During the hearing the court was informed that two missing persons had died at the Lakki Marwat internment centre. The court directed that an FIR be lodged against the persons responsible for the death of two missing persons and summoned a report.
