Demanding answers.

THE authorities cannot continue with their ostrich-like behaviour with regard to enforced disappearances. The matter is too urgent and the violation of fundamental rights too grave for the government to be allowed to get away with its apparent lack of will to do anything to stop it from happening. On Friday, the Islamabad High Court admonished the federal government for not following through on its ruling of May 25 for the recovery of missing persons, and upped the ante by saying it could summon the country's chief executive to demand an explanation. The IHC had directed the PML-N-led government to serve notices on retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and all successive chief executives for their 'undeclared tacit approval of the policy regarding enforced disappearances'. It was incumbent on each of them, said the order, to rebut that view and explain why they should not be charged with high treason. Failing this, the previous and incumbent interior ministers were to appear before the bench, but the court's ruling fell on deaf ears.

After former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry several...