Pending missing persons cases is ’embarrassing’, says court

While hearing almost a dozen applications related to cases of missing persons, Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, Amir Farooq, said that the court is ashamed of the matter that has been pending since the past several years.

According to Dawn, the remarks were passed during a hearing of a case related to the disappearance of journalist Mudassar Naro, who went missing during a visit to the northern regions.

Sadaf, Naru’s wife, filed a case in the Islamabad High Court almost five years ago. While waiting for her husband to come back, she too passed away.

Mudassar Naru’s young son, Sachal, who was only a few months old when his father disappeared, is usually present in court during case proceedings.

On Thursday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb stated that cases of enforced disappearances are tarnishing Pakistan’s identity.

The Attorney General of Pakistan was asked for help in solving the long-standing problem.

Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb pointed out that a former prime minister had also spoken in court on the issue of enforced disappearances but he had not taken any action to stop it.

Additional Attorney General Barrister Munoor Iqbal Dagal said that the government is serious about this issue and a committee has also been formed in this regard.