The Supreme Court directed the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances on Wednesday to submit a ‘comprehensive report’ on the matter along with all production orders issued for missing persons.
The case is being heard by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali.
The court asked the commission, headed by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, to submit its report to the attorney general of Pakistan within 10 days.
Qazi Faez asked the federal government to give in writing that there would be no more enforced disappearances in the country.
During the proceedings, Shaheen read out previous judgements issued on the matter in court and when he mentioned the Faizabad sit-in case, the CJP inquired on the relevance of the reference.
Justice Isa then asked the counsel to only provide details of Baloch protesters who faced the police crackdown in Islamabad. He also mentioned the abduction of journalist Matiullah Jan and was asked by the CJP if the government of the time accepted responsibility.
When the lawyer stated that the government did intervene, Justice Isa express his displeasure and said that he was “surprised that not a single head rolled as a consequence”.
Shaheen then mentioned the case of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan and said footage of his abduction was available and also referred to cases of other political activists being “picked up”.
At this, the court asked why were they not saying it themselves and approaching the court. “Please don’t start pleading cases of powerful people who are well-settled and have all the resources in the world and when they want they can come to court. And when they don’t want they don’t come to court. Don’t become their spokesperson,” said the CJP.
Amina Masood, the chairperson of Defence of Human Rights, was then called to the rostrum. She stated that her husband was “forcefully disappeared” during the regime of army dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2005 and the then chief justice had taken suo motu notice of the incident.
