Human rights ministry alone can't address missing persons issue, Pirzada clarifies.

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Human Rights Minister Riaz Pirzada on Thursday contradicted the statement he issued on Sunday that some missing persons were engaged by detained Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav or by some neighbouring countries.

Clarifying his remarks, made during a recent interview with DawnNews, Mr Pirzada said he meant to say that the missing persons' issue could not be addressed by his ministry alone, as it was not the investigating authority.

A statement issued by the ministry further said that the bill regarding missing persons was under consideration by the standing committees concerned. However, it is worth mentioning that the ministry secretary has already expressed ignorance about the bill being under discussion by any panel.

During a recent meeting, the secretary had maintained that his ministry was unaware about the whereabouts of any such bill. Rather, he said, the interior and parliamentary affairs ministries had been asked to trace it.

DawnNews' interview with Mr Pirzada's, which was broadcast on television and is still available on YouTube and other platforms, contains the disputed remarks, wherein the minister categorically states that some missing persons had been engaged by Jadhav or neighbouring countries.

The Human Rights Ministry, Pirzada maintained, had forwarded a bill and suggestions to parliament to address the...