ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s commitment to finding a permanent solution to the problem of enforced disappearances and missing persons, saying that it should be resolved “once and for all.”
He did, however, warn against making politics out of the issue. “We cannot grant you permission to make the matter political.”
Government authorities have been attempting to portray the long march and demonstration in Islamabad by the Baloch Yakjehti’s Committee (BYC) as ‘propaganda,’ according to the protestors, who earlier today organized a nationwide shutter-down demonstration for tomorrow (January 3).
Chief Justice Isa presided over the hearing, which also included Justices Musarrat Hilali and Muhammad Ali Mazhar. Live coverage of the proceedings could be seen on national news stations and the website of the Supreme Court.
“This country belongs to all of us, even those who may have other points of view,” the CJP remarked, echoing Justice Isa’s plea for collective responsibility as the hearing began.
When everyone pitches in and owns up to their part, we can finally get this under control. Let us strengthen Pakistan from the inside. No external power can threaten Pakistan if its internal strength is sufficient.
Request for In his petition, Khushdil Khan Malik asked the court to tell the government to pass a law concerning missing persons. According to Justice Mazhar, a committee has been established to investigate cases of enforced disappearances.
According to the petitioner, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which was established with Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal at the helm, has failed to make significant progress thus far. Additionally, he asked for a formal notification to be sent to the government on its inaction in passing the aforementioned law.
Noting that the court lacks the power to direct parliament to pass legislation, the chief judge asked the court to identify which provision of the Constitution grants it this jurisdiction. He emphasized that the nation’s institutions must adhere to their constitutional boundaries.
The court, according to Justice Mazhar, cannot create new laws but can strike down existing ones if they violate the Constitution.
Shoiab Shaheen, who was representing former senator Aitzaz Ahsan, ascended to the rostrum. The CJP protested, claiming he was not Ahsan’s counsel. In response, Shaheen explained that he had been granted the authority to represent Latif Khosa’s son due to his arrest.
After rejecting objections, the CJP noted that he is hearing the petitions because it is in the public interest. He went on to say that developments occurred while he was away, therefore the hearings were scheduled for his immediate return. As the Baloch long march sought to infiltrate the nation’s capital to stage a sit-in demanding the return of missing loved ones, it was brutally repressed by the police. The CJP was probably alluding to it.
Shaheen voiced his disapproval of the commission of investigation, claiming that it had been ineffective. He was informed that it was created in 2011 during the period of the PPP administration when he enquired which government was in power at the time.
The CJP went on to say that Ahsan was a PPP member and asked if he wanted to put the formation of the commission on hold. In response, Shaheen said that 2,200 individuals were still unaccounted for, as reported by the commission.
After that, the lawyer brought up the subject of Sadaqat Abbasi and AML chief Shiekh Rashid’s disappearances. CJP Isa inquired as to whether or not each of the persons named by the attorneys had filed a petition in the matter. in which case, the counsel’s attempt to politicize the matter would be puzzling.
Despite the counsel naming members of one political party, the CJP stressed that the subject is being handled with the utmost seriousness and that the court will not be utilized for political objectives.
Following this, Shaheen changed the focus to a supposed missing bill put up by Shireen Mazari, who was the human rights minister at the time. The fact that no one accepts personal responsibility while in office is where the problem begins, Justice Isa said when asked whether Mazari had resigned in protest of the ministry.
CJP Isa went on to say that, as Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani brought up the “missing” bill, the lawyers should also add him as a petition party. In response to the bench’s request to examine the bill, the attorney stated that he was without it.
In response to Shaheen’s earlier statement about missing journalists, the bench wanted to know if Imran Riaz was still out there and if he wasn’t a powerful figure. The court further inquired as to the omission of Matiullah Jan and Asad Toor’s names.
Also, the bench wanted to know whether the lawyer had compiled a list of missing people’s names and the dates they were reported missing.
The CJP brought up the commission once more, this time inquiring as to whether or not the petitioner’s lawyer was content with Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal being the commission’s chair.
In response, Shaheen stated their desire for a new commission to be established by global norms. The CJP reiterated that the matter of missing persons will be resolved and stated that the court can only hold the interim administration accountable for individuals who went missing while it was in office.
The next step was to postpone the hearing until January 3.
Protesters from Baloch have declared a day of silent protest.
According to the BYC, the state has consistently demonstrated a lack of dedication and enthusiasm toward our requests from the beginning.
Consequently, we are organizing a demonstration with a curfew on January 3. In the sake of humanity and the Baloch country, striving to maintain our identity, we sincerely request that individuals from all walks of life support and adhere to our request for the shutter-down strike.
The Baloch demonstrators offered the government a seven-day ultimatum to meet their demands on December 28. Bolivarian Youth Congress (BYC) campers outside the National Press Club have been calling for the release of detained protesters, an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, an investigation into the province’s rights violations, limits on the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and the end of “state-sponsored death squads,” among other demands.
According to a video message by Dr. Mahrang Baloch, one of the protest organizers, the demonstration began in response to the alleged killing of a Baloch youth while in the custody of the CTD.
According to her, the protest is in opposition to the enforced disappearances and killings of innocent civilians in Balochistan, which have persisted for a decade. She went on to say that the people of Balochistan were behind the demonstration.
Dr. Mahrang asserted, “We have repeatedly been told by the administration that they are not ready to work on their policy of Baloch genocide,” about the Islamabad police’s use of force to “sabotage” the long march and the registration of other “false” first information reports (FIRs) against protestors across the country.
“Once again,” she insisted, over twenty young Baloch men had vanished. She pushed for the immediate release of all people held in detention without legal authorization and the guarantee of a fair trial for all.
A demand for a shutdown protest follows comments made by interim prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who stated that 98% of Baloch people were in support of Pakistan, casting a harsh light on the plight of Baloch families in Balochistan.
The prime minister made the statement while addressing several media inquiries during his visit to the Business Facilitation Centre (BFC) in Lahore yesterday. He said that the killing of Balochis was carried out by terrorists and armed militants.
In addition, he said that “doctors, lawyers and teachers” were being killed.
The demonstrators’ “demands have been clear: an end to all forms of human rights violations in Balochistan and the cessation of the Baloch genocide,” Dr. Mahrang stated in response to the caretaker prime minister on the social media site ‘X’ (previously Twitter). Through the media, we have communicated our demands to the state.
In addition, she bemoaned the fact that the world is seeing the state’s constant lack of responsibility and stubbornness up close and personal, with peaceful protestors subjected to torture and arrest while being tried in court for their peaceful actions.
The prime minister of Pakistan insulted the relatives of the disappeared and spoke threateningly to nonviolent political activists today when he branded those who had been disappeared as terrorists. “But we will continue to inform the world about your oppression and barbarism,” Dr. Mahrang declared, addressing the state and government.
