ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Monday asked the government to tell about the missing persons, saying that non recovery of the missing despite enormous government enormous is regrettable.
“The defence ministry should tell if the earth has swallowed the missing persons or heaven has devoured them,” remarked Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while heading a bench hearing cases of missing Hafiz Muhammad Jamil and Hammad Aamir.
“Termite is eating into the life of missing persons while police is powerless before the intelligence agencies accused of whisking away hundreds of citizens. There is such a mammoth government institution but the missing persons are not being recovered,” the judge said. Justice Mian Saqib said the government should mind its conduct and realise that such allegations should not be levelled against it. “Policy of evasion will not work for a long time. Court cannot close its eyes. No one will be allowed to breach law and constitution,” he added.
Justice Nasir ul Mulk said the cases of these missing persons are pending since the last two years and the government has to answer the court. “If all institutions are denying their detention then where have these people gone? Are they alive or died?” Lack of progress in these cases is beyond comprehension, he said. “A new explanation comes on every hearing. For how long this will run?”
Additional Attorney General (AAG) Tariq Khokhar, Amna Masud Janjua and deputy director legal Muhammad Irfan Bhatti appeared in the court. During the hearing of the case of Hafiz Jamil, the defence ministry said no headway has been made in the matter because it has not received the copy of the list of missing persons that was presented in Sindh High Court (SHC) according to Amna Masood Janjua. The court ordered for presenting copy of the list and orders of SHC before it.
Court later heard the case of missing Hammad Aamir, who was picked up from Westridge Rawalpindi. AAG Tariq Khokhar told the court that ISI had denied presence of Hammad while Military Intelligence (MI) has sought two weeks time for checking its record. Father of Hammad told the court that solid evidence is available that he is in the custody of these intelligence agencies and footsteps of the matter go to I-9 Islamabad. He said that a person from Vehari had also told him on telephone that “my son is all well and there are no charges against him and he is in Islamabad”.
The court said in its ruling Amna Masood Janjua has told that all other persons who were detained with Hammad Aamir have been released and these persons have told that Hammad Aamir has been kept somewhere in I-9 in Islamabad. The court directed the defence ministry to investigate the matter in light of these solid evidence and present detailed report. The court also has summoned director legal Muhammad Irfan on February 3 and adjourned hearing till that day.