The Supreme Court while hearing the case of the missing persons was informed by Additional Attorney General that the government is planning to give Rs 60,000 per month to families of the missing persons who disappeared more than seven years ago. Question will be asked whether this is a hush money given to the victims families to forget about their near and dear ones. But indeed it was gratifying to know that the apex court in the first place told the AAG that the proposed money was not enough. Secondly, Justice Javed Iqbal directed the intelligence agencies in unambiguous terms that either a case should be filed against missing persons if they were guilty of terrorism and produced before a court of law or should be set free immediately. This is precisely what the grief-stricken families who have been running from pillar to post for the past many years in search of justice have been demanding. The pity is that they do not even know whether their missing relatives are dead or alive. Now after considerable time, the announcement that the families will be paid compensation every month not only makes a mockery of justice but also means that the agencies have no intention of releasing the missing persons. It was General Musharraf who in order to strengthen his harsh and arbitrary rule resorted to picking up persons in broad daylight under US diktat. But the present democratic government was expected to put an end to this shameful legacy. It must now order the agencies to release all the missing persons as quickly as possible and also tell them to refrain from acting as law unto themselves. At the end of the day, judiciary remains the only institution that is acting as the guardian angel of the fundamental rights of the citizens. And the government, by forgetting its duty of guaranteeing peoples safety, is only denting its credibility.