KARACHI - Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday ordered the law enforcers to set up a special cell to settle the missing person issues.
The CJP was conducting hearing on several applications moved by the families of missing persons here at Karachi Registry. He directed the court staff to accept applications from families of the missing persons.
Taking the notice of the matter a day earlier, the CJP had summoned, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi, Sindh Rangers DG Muhammad Saeed, provincial interior secretary and provincial heads of intelligence agencies – who appeared in the court on Sunday.
Clamour in the courtroom caused by some of the relatives of the missing persons led the chief justice to briefly halt the proceedings. When he returned, he expressed his anger at the troublemakers.
At the start of the proceedings, the CJP heard a plea filed by a woman namely Neelum – who said her father was missing for 14 months. The chief justice ordered IGP and other officials to conduct a probe into her father’s disappearance and submit a report.
The CJP expressed his sadness over the missing persons issue and said that not only the youth but even elders were forcibly disappeared.
Justice Saqib said he believes that the state-run institutions could not be solely responsible for forcible disappearance of the people [as is being generally believed by the victim families]; rather, some other elements must also be behind most of such cases.
The chief justice told the officials that the matter must be probed for the safe recovery of all the missing persons.
When the IGP was leaving the court room, suddenly some families of the missing persons started yelling and protesting in the courtroom. They were demanding to stop the officials from leaving. Some of them reached the rostrum. One woman started beating the rostrum.
The CJP kept telling them to maintain silence but they did not comply with the top judge’s orders. Ultimately, the police were called in to control the situation.
The protesting families alleged that the secrete agencies were behind the abduction of their loved ones, and they claimed of having enough evidence.
The chief justice left the courtroom without passing any orders. “I had come here to resolve the matter but I am leaving without further proceeding due to your bad behaviour,” said the CJP while leaving the proceeding.
The families, who were not part of the protest, became incensed at others for disrupting the proceeding.
The CJP called the IG Sindh and DG Rangers into his chamber and then returned to the hearing after a short break. He expressed his annoyance at the protesting persons. He said that some applicants violated the court decorum. He also admonished them for misbehaving with the court’s security staff.
“I am sure the women of my country would not misbehave in a court in this manner,” said Justice Saqib, and called up the woman who beat the rostrum during the rumpus, telling her to tender unconditional apology.
“If you had been a man, I would have sent you to jail,” the CJP said to her. She complied with the judge’s order and apologised for her misbehaviour.
The petitioners’ lawyers also apologised to the CJP.
Justice Saqib issued direction to the IGP and other officials to collect information about all the missing person. He also ordered the law enforcers to set up a special cell and brief the human rights cell of the Supreme Court in this regard.
The chief justice said that even if any missing person has been killed then their families must be informed. “At least they will get some peace.”
Earlier, a number of people including family members of the missing person staged a protest outside the building of Supreme Court Karachi Registry. They were carrying banners and placards and shouting to demand safe recovery of their loved ones.
Tight security was arranged outside the court, and the road in front of the SC was blocked off to traffic.
Shafi Baloch
