Diary - Balochistan
 
SC annoyed over non-recovery of missing persons
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May 11, 2012
The Supreme Court’s unwavering stance on the issue of missing persons in Balochistan seems to be finally paying off.

On Friday, the Supreme Court, hearing a case on Balochistan’s deteriorating law and order situation in Quetta, was informed that the police registered cases against serving Frontier Corps (FC) officials for their involvement in ‘missing’ persons’ cases.

The police submitted the copies of the FIRs in which an FC major and colonel were nominated for allegedly abducting two persons from Khuzdar and Wadh.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain noted the considerable step, saying that earlier people were merely levelling allegations against security forces, whereas now a major and colonel have been nominated in FIRs.

However, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry remained unsatisfied with the slow progress and gave a final ultimatum to the police: recover missing persons in two weeks, or else face action under the Constitution.

The chief justice maintained that senior police officials were not showing any courage in disclosing who was behind enforced disappearances.

However, he toned down his criticism when a police official broke down in tears before the court, saying, “We are receiving death threats and are being pressurised.”

The chief justice replied that, while he has respect for security personnel, the court too has been left with no other choice.

Balochistan Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani informed that court that at least facts are now being disclosed. “Law enforcement agencies have taken initiatives to restore peace in the province,” he said.

3 missing persons recovered

The court was also informed that three missing persons had reached their homes on Thursday. Mohammad Karim, Safar Khan and Dawa Khan resurfaced in Quetta , and, according their relatives, they were in the custody of the FC.

Relatives told the court that seven people were abducted from Marwar area in Mach Town of Bolan district in April.

The Supreme Court directed the home secretary to seek help from the FC for the recovery of the four other missing persons within two weeks.

Meanwhile, lawyers submitted a list of 45 more missing persons before Supreme Court Treasury Bench.

“It is regrettable that there has been no encouraging result since we started hearings in Quetta ,” Chief Justice Chaudhry told the police.

The advocate general, meanwhile, said that the government had found important evidence in the cases of 10 missing persons, which could not be disclosed in the open court. The court directed him to provide the information inside the chamber.

Absent officials

The chief justice further expressed resentment over the absence of the sector in-charge of security agencies despite being summoned by the court.

“If the Balochistan Inspector General of Police can appear before the court, why can’t the sector in-charge of security agencies?” he asked. He added that heads of security agencies should come forward and extinguish the fire that has engulfed rest of the province.

Justice Tariq Pervez said the chief minister should have also appeared before the court considering the situation of his province.

The court said it had issued previous orders in the case to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the Balochistan chief minister, and the defence and home secretaries; however, there was no response.

It has become difficult to figure out who the court should ask to pay serious attention to Balochistan since no one appears sincere, the bench remarked.

The hearing, which lasted for nine hours, was adjourned for two weeks.

Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) summoning provincial home minister has ordered Inspector General police Balochistan to produce missing persons otherwise police officials would be suspended; meanwhile Chief Minister Balochistan and Provincial Home Minister did not appeared before court on its directions and court was disappointed on their absence.

CJP remarked that the families of the missing persons cannot feel comfort until their loved ones re-join them safe and sound.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry remarked that results will remain out of reach until and unless the provincial heads of secret agencies cooperate.

He said, ‘No one is telling the court as to from where the ten missing people, who were recently produced before the court, were recovered.’

“Are the missing persons in custody of police and Levies,’ queried the CJP Chaudhry remarking that secret agencies proclaimed that they do not have the missing persons.

The Chief Justice Chaudhry stressed the establishment of peace in the province is not possible in case the agencies do not cooperate.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, addressing the Deputy Inspector General Frontier Crops Brigadier Shehzad, said, “People do not respect you. Your uniform should be esteemed; instead, people are afraid of you.

Chief Justice Chaudhry remarked that there would be no gains until the information about the missing persons would be revealed.

During proceedings, the bench observed that no one has so far dared to reveal who had kept them. The CJ said intelligence agencies are claiming that the missing persons are not being kept by them, if this is true then who else has detained them.

CJ stressed that nothing would be helpful until substantial facts about the missing persons would be provided. On this, the Home Secretary apprised the bench that the department lacks information about each and every missing person.

Deputy Inspector-General of Frontier Corps (DIG FC) Brig Shahzad appeared before the court and told that there was no missing person in FC’s custody.

The CJ remarked that the every person who appeared here had held FC responsible for the disappearances taking place in the province.

On this, DIG FC said that holding FC responsible for the missing persons was regrettable.

IG police Rao Ameen Hashim assured the court that police would recover the missing persons.

The bench continued to record statements of the relatives of missing persons at Quetta Registry and recorded the statements of 50 persons. The bench also held an unprecedented 15-hour-long sitting to record the statements of the relatives of 47 missing persons on Wednesday.

The SC on Wednesday blasted the intelligence outfits and the Balochistan chief executive, among others, and summoned the province’s Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani, Home Minister Mir Zafar Zehri and the ISI sector in-charge to appear before the bench.

The court also alleged that the federal and provincial governments had failed to address the issue of the missing persons.

Taking serious note of the two different statement of the provincial home minister regarding the involvement of the provincial ministers in the heinous crimes, the chief justice said that the home minister had maligned the constitutional government by making a false statement.

The chief justice directed the home minister to appear before the court and justify his statement on Friday to avoid action against him.

He maintained that on the part of provincial government until now absolutely no response has been witnessed regarding the law and order situation in Balochistan which tells us that no one is serious to resolve the plight of the masses.

Expressing dissatisfaction on the contention of the acting DIG police Hamdi Shakeel, he noted that there would be no gains until the credible information about the missing persons is revealed.

“Our government does not know who had picked up the missing persons, security agencies are blank on it then who else knows about these missing people,” he said adding no one seems ready to heal the wounds of the suffering masses.

Justice Khilji Arif said that we have observed people feel that forces have failed to live up to their expectations which they have now posed in courts.

The chief justice remarked that every person who appeared here had held FC responsible for the disappearances taking place in the province.

The bench recorded as many as 65 statements of the relatives of missing persons.

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