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| Pakistan Supreme Court asks Government find all 'missing' | | | Islamabad | Feb 16
Unhappy with the government's handling, Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued fresh directions for locating 'missing' people, believed to have been picked up for questioning by intelligence agencies.
The court direction came when told by Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan Thursday that the government had failed to trace one of them, Masud Janjua, who disappeared several months ago. Janjua had not been found in the custody of any intelligence agency, he said.
However, the case took an "unexpected turn" when Janjua's wife Amina Masud claimed that a human rights lawyer had seen a number of people, including her husband, in the custody of intelligence agencies, The Daily Times reported Friday.
The court was then told that the lawyer, C M Farooq, had himself been detained for taking up the cause of the families of the missing persons, but let off after two weeks.
In a statement, Farooq claimed to have seen some of the missing people, including Janjua, Faisal Faraz, Attiqur Rehman, Muhammad Altaf, Hafiz Abdul Basit, Obaidullah, Hafiz Idrees Abbasi and Gul Muhammad in detention cells of the intelligence agencies.
Amina, who is also leading a protest campaign by families of the missing people, accused the government of covering up illegal detentions.
The attorney general informed the court that he held a meeting at his office Wednesday, but C M Farooq had refused to attend, Pakistan's NNI (News Network International) reported.
Amina also claimed that the intelligence agencies had also picked up two persons, Masood and Mudasir, for supporting the families of the missing people.
A large number of persons have been found 'missing'. They have neither been put on trial nor permitted to contact their families. The families of some have taken to the streets and have turned to the court for redressal.
There have been demonstrations in front of the Army Headquarters and office of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the powerful intelligence body of the defence forces. Political parties and human rights bodies have taken keen interest in the matter.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz recently criticised the families for street protests, saying they should follow due legal procedures. He has also contended that many of those reported missing have committed crimes and chosen to go underground.
The attorney general sought more time from the Supreme Court to find the remaining missing people and the bench adjourned the hearing till March 8.
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