SC orders submission of details of cases registered against missing persons

Ordering the commission formed on missing persons to submit details of the cases registered against all missing persons by next Tuesday, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday disposed of the petitions filed by the federal government against the Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders after the latter said it was withdrawing these petitions, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

During the hearing of missing persons’ case, the apex court also directed the commission to provide to the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) all production orders.

The court also directed the AGP to inform the court what the government’s stance was on these orders.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa said that it was not possible to go ahead with the hearing today since there was a meeting of the judicial commission on the judges of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The CJP remarked that had the PTI played its part in the recovery of missing persons when it was in power, it would not have been facing the situation it was facing today.  

He said that journalist Matiullah Jan’s disappearance case was a documented one.

Disagreeing with PTI’s lawyer Advocate Shoaib Shaheen’s statement that Mati had been recovered in a day due to intervention by the PTI government while another journalist Imran Riaz, who had been kidnapped under the last coalition government, remained missing for four months, the CJP said, “No, that is not true. You are perhaps mistaken. Truth of the matter is that a CCTV camera had captured those moments when he was being whisked away which ultimately forced the authorities to set him free. If you have any proof to support your argument that the PTI’s government played the role in the release of the journalist, please make it part of the record.”

Advocate Shaheen said that the video of Imran Riaz’s kidnapping was also recorded.

Chief Justice says can’t spread a red carpet for people like Imran Riaz

He went on to say that Imran Riaz called him yesterday and said he was ready to tell the court who were the people who had kidnapped him if the court provided him security.

Expressing his displeasure over his statement, Justice Isa said that he was against using the platform for political purposes.

The chief justice said there was yet another case of disappearance of a journalist when PTI was in the government, and that was of Absar Alam. “We had asked him to be brave and record his statement in the court,” he said, and added, “The journalist then did show courage and came to the court.”

“Do you think we will spread a red carpet for anybody willing to record his statement,” the CJP said, and added, “Do you think we have an army which would give protection to such people.”

“If somebody has fears, he or she should better go to a police station and get an FIR registered. And please refrain from making the court a political forum,” he said.

Justice Isa then asked PTI’s lawyer as to what Sheikh Rasheed had said to him. “If he can appear in the court in the Faizabad sit-in and election cases, why can’t he in this case?” he questioned.

Justice Musarrat Halali seconded the CJP and remarked how one who could not give his point of view could represent others. “Why does not he hold a presser and tell the nation who had taken him away,” the judge said.

Reporter: Amanat Gishkori