The Islamabad High Court expressed its displeasure over the performance of the inquiry commission on the issue of enforced disappearances and summoned the officials of intelligence agencies for an in-camera hearing.
A larger bench of Islamabad High Court comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case of missing persons including Baloch students.
Additional Attorney General Barrister Munoor Iqbal Dogal submitted a request to exempt the officials of Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau from attending the court.
He said that intelligence agency personnel could be targeted for revealing their identity and movements.
He requested the bench to take an in-camera briefing from those officials who are part of the Committee on Missing Persons.
On this, Iman Mazari, the lawyer of the missing persons, while arguing in front of the court, said that 187 persons have gone missing since August this year, and an explanation can be sought from the government on the cases of forced disappearances.
When the court inquired how the lawyer got the list of missing persons, Iman Mazari replied that the Baloch Solidarity Council had compiled the list.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani remarked that it is the responsibility of the government to provide details of missing persons whether they are detained in Afghanistan or Kashmir, adding that a strategy can be devised to recover the missing persons.
The court summoned Inspector General Balochistan Police to appear in the next hearing.
The bench also decided on in-camera briefing of ISI, MI and IB officials on the upcoming hearing.
