{"id":62038,"date":"2024-02-19T17:25:49","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T17:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/pm-kakar-again-skips-ihc-hearing-on-baloch-missing-students-case\/"},"modified":"2024-02-19T17:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T17:25:49","slug":"pm-kakar-again-skips-ihc-hearing-on-baloch-missing-students-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/pm-kakar-again-skips-ihc-hearing-on-baloch-missing-students-case\/","title":{"rendered":"PM Kakar again skips IHC hearing on Baloch missing students case"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p>Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday again failed to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case pertaining to missing Baloch students.<\/p>\n<p>As Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resumed hearing a petition regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, he observed, \u201cThe purpose of summoning the prime minister was to inquire why the state\u2019s premier is failing in his duties.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The commission was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1679530#:~:text=The-,commission,-%E2%80%94%20set%20up%20in\">established in 2011<\/a> to trace missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible for it.<\/p>\n<p>The IHC had previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1791485\">summoned<\/a> PM Kakar on Nov 29 but as he did not appear before the court, it had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1793749\">warned<\/a> that a case could be registered against the interim premier and others if they failed to reunite the missing Baloch students with their families.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1804770\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>During the Nov 29 hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1793552\">informed<\/a> the court that out of 50 missing persons, 22 had been recovered, while the whereabouts of 28 others were still unknown.<\/p>\n<p>On January 10, Justice Kayani had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1804770\">remarked<\/a> that a day would come when intelligence officials would also be held accountable and face prosecution for cases. In a subsequent hearing, he had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1804770\">summoned<\/a> PM Kakar for a second time, observing: \u201cThe punishment of enforced disappearances should be the death penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During today\u2019s hearing, the IHC summoned Kakar for a third time, adjourning the hearing till February 28. PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat also appeared before the court, detailing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1815245\">alleged raid<\/a> on his house by the Islamabad police.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"the-hearing\" href=\"#the-hearing\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>The hearing<\/h2>\n<p>At the outset of the hearing, AGP Awan appeared before the IHC and was asked about PM Kakar\u2019s whereabouts. The AGP replied that the premier was in Karachi.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about the whereabouts of the defence and interior ministers, Awan said that the two were also busy. The interior ministry\u2019s secretary then appeared before the court, at which Justice Kayani asked why the defence ministry\u2019s secretary was not present.<\/p>\n<p>The judge highlighted that today was the 24th hearing in the case.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe petition was filed in 2022 and a commission had been formed. It took us two years to recover our citizens who did not even have any criminal case registered against them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was no case against them \u2014 including any drug, murder, or theft case \u2014 let alone a terror case,\u201d Justice Kayani noted. He observed that \u201cno documents or information\u201d was shared with the court in the past two years.<\/p>\n<p>Addressing AGP Awan, he said, \u201cYou had submitted an affidavit that no person would go missing after today. [Yet] a person is missing from Islamabad\u2019s F-6 without a first information report against him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe purpose of summoning the prime minister was to inquire why the state\u2019s premier is failing in his duties,\u201d the IHC judge said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have charges against our institutions regarding enforced disappearances. If the prime minister, defence minister and secretary, and the interior minister and secretary cannot perform their duties then they should leave their posts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AGP Awan requested that the incoming government review the matter instead of the caretaker setup. \u201cWhen the elected government will come, it will look at the matter afresh,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>At this, the judge noted: \u201cThere was one government for three-and-a-half years, then another for 16 months, and then the caretakers but nothing came out of it. There are direct allegations against institutions here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At one point, Justice Kayani said, \u201cI will constitute a committee comprising the heads of the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), MI (Military Intelligence) and the IB (Intelligence Bureau).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy summon the prime minister or the ministers? Let\u2019s make a committee comprising those on whom there are allegations,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n<p>At this, the AGP once again urged the court to adjourn the matter till the elected government assumed its responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat also appeared before the court and said: \u201cYesterday, the Islamabad police and [state] institutions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1815245\">conducted a raid<\/a> at my house.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was present at the house, my children were present yet the doors of my house were broken down. The Islamabad police are the biggest criminals,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n<p>The PTI lawyer further alleged that his house was raided without a warrant, adding, \u201cI ran away. If I had not run away, then even I would have been a missing person. They can arrest me from anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the Islamabad inspector general goes to jail for 10 days, then no one would dare to [raid houses],\u201d Marwat said.<\/p>\n<p>The IHC then issued directives to the interior secretary to summon the Islamabad police chief and the head of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) at the next hearing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media  sm:w-1\/2  w-full  media--right  media--embed  media--uneven\">\n<p>    <iframe class=\"nk-iframe\" onload=\"setInterval(()=&gt;{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"height:400px;position:relative\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/card\/1808377\" sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The court recalled that the deputy commissioner had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1801611\">made wrong use<\/a> of the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance, for which a contempt case was under way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am ashamed that all this is happening with a lawyer and an MNA-elect. They are not talking about Lakki Marwat but about Islamabad\u2019s F-8,\u201d Justice Kayani remarked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAttorney general <em>sahib<\/em>, is a political government even being formed or not?\u201d the judge asked.<\/p>\n<p>Awan then urged the court to give him time till the last week of March.<\/p>\n<p>In her arguments, human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari said, \u201cA few people were recovered but then in February, people went missing again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She recalled that even though the AGP had submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, people went missing in Balochistan. \u201cThe policy of forced disappearances is now of the state,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Marwat further said that \u201c26 parliamentarians of the PTI\u201d were abducted in the last nine months. \u201cPTI leaders were abducted and then released in return for Rs20-30 million,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn abduction cases in Islamabad, the Islamabad police themselves are involved. Since the incumbent IG has taken charge, he has done this to Islamabad,\u201d he alleged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThirty-six cases were filed against me for being affiliated with the PTI. I am on bail in all cases yet there was a raid last night,\u201d Marwat stated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf any person is abducted from within the premises of the IHC, the interior secretary, Islamabad IG and the CTD incharge would be responsible for it,\u201d Justice Kayani remarked.<\/p>\n<p>Referring to Marwat\u2019s statements, the judge noted, \u201cHe has told us honestly that uniformed men came [and] did not name any institution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The court ordered AGP Awan to submit a list of the missing who had allegedly gone missing recently. Justice Kayani said that he would issue an order for constituting a three-member committee of the director generals of the country\u2019s intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire world is watching what is taking place in Islamabad. A crime will remain a crime, whether there is a caretaker government or an elected one. The responsibility of forced disappearances is on the state,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst, they abduct people, then hand over them to the police and then say that the court releases them,\u201d the judge noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one is above the law. The law is binding on everyone. Everyone is laughing at us. These days, even children are laughing at them,\u201d Justice Kayani observed. \u201cWhat would I, the lawyers sitting here and journalists tell their children after returning home?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere will be a three-member committee. Whichever government is present, those responsible will remain the same,\u201d Justice Kayani remarked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will deal with the Islamabad IG and the CTD in charge separately. They have to provide protection to the people. If they cannot understand that, then make them understand,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>The court then directed the defence secretary to brief the officials concerned about the proceedings. It ordered AGP Awan to brief the DGs of the three intelligence agencies. Subsequently, the IHC once again summoned PM Kakar and the interim interior and defence ministers on the next hearing, adjourning the case till February 28.<\/p>\n<p>Justice Kayani said he was not summoning any elected prime minister as he would start the case afresh after a new government was sworn in. \u201cTell the prime minister to not go to Karachi at the next hearing [and] appear before the high court. The interim premier is not a full-time premier. Tell him that coming to the court is not an issue,\u201d the judge stated.<\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"51-more-enforced-disappearances-in-2023\" href=\"#51-more-enforced-disappearances-in-2023\" class=\"heading-permalink\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Permalink\"\/>51 more enforced disappearances in 2023<\/h2>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/1801905\">report<\/a> published by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Defence of Human Rights (DHR) in December last year, Pakistan reported 51 more cases of enforced disappearances in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe total number of cases stands at 3,120, with 51 cases registered in 2023 alone. Notably, 595 individuals have been released and reunited with their families, 246 people have been traced, and 88 cases have sadly resulted in extrajudicial killings,\u201d DHR said.<\/p>\n<p>According to the report, 17 missing persons from Azad Jammu and Kashmir were released and the whereabouts of two others were traced while one was extrajudicially killed while 20 remained missing.<\/p>\n<p>Out of the 82 missing persons from Balochistan, the whereabouts of 67 remained unknown, 12 were released, two were traced and one was extrajudicially killed.<\/p>\n<p>In Islamabad, 47 people remained missing while 32 were released, seven were traced and three were extrajudicially killed.<\/p>\n<p>Out of the 1,091 missing persons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 121 were released, 792 remained missing, 151 were traced and 27 were extrajudicially killed. In Punjab, 343 were released, 323 remained missing, 76 were traced and 46 were extrajudicially killed.<\/p>\n<p>In Sindh, 134 people remained missing, 70 were released, eight were traced and 10 were extrajudicially killed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday again failed to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case pertaining to missing Baloch students. As Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resumed hearing a petition regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, he observed, \u201cThe purpose of summoning [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.dawn.com\/large\/2024\/02\/191356074973b25.png?r=135616","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}