SC displeased with slackness in missing persons case

The SC said non-serious attitude of the government with regards to recovery of missing persons is not acceptable.A 3-member bench of SC presided over by Justice Mian Shakir Ullah Jan took up the case for hearing Tuesday.Additional Attorney General (AAG) KK Agha told the court 134 out of 382 missing persons had been recovered while 138 persons were being traced out. The chairman of the commission will soon be appointed, he added.The court issued directives for appointment of the commission chairman within a week and questioned why chairman had not been appointed so far while government was given only one-week time in this connection.The chairman of the commission be appointed forthwith, the court directed.The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) told the court cases of 10 missing persons were very old and efforts were underway to trace out. Seven missing persons who were incorporated in another list of missing persons had been traced out, he said.The Defence Ministry had constituted a special committee which was investigating the old cases, he said.He submitted that Justice (Retd) Fazlur Rehman, chairman of a two-member inquiry commission, had joined the Election Commission and new chairman in his place would be appointed soon.Justice Jawad S Khawaja expressed displeasure over it, saying Justice (Retd) Fazlur Rehman had joined the Election Commission six months ago.KK Agha said the Interior Secretary remained preoccupied due to the Karachi situation due to which the delay occurred. One-week time be allowed and the chairman would be appointed, he pleaded.Justice Shakir Ullah Jan observed it was responsibility of the government to trace out missing persons.KK Agha said statistics were being collected about the missing persons in Balochistan and intelligence agencies were not involved.Justice Shakir Ullah Jan said: “You should file a written reply”. KK Agha said a written reply would be filed within a week.Aamna Masud Janjua, chairperson Defence of Human Rights, said no commission was working with reference to missing persons.