IHC assails govt for ignoring order on missing persons.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court on Friday assailed the federal government for not implementing its directive for recovery of missing persons and warned that the court could summon the chief executive of the country for explanation.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued the warning during the hearing of identical petitions seeking recovery of missing persons.

The court directed Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Khawaja Imtiaz to read out its May 25 order.

The DAG said that in compliance with the court's order a committee had been constituted for the recovery of missing persons, adding that the federal minister for law and justice was also a member of the committee.

Justice Minallah recalls order had asked previous, incumbent interior ministers to appear before it

Reading out the May 25 order, Mr Imtiaz said the court had directed the federal government to serve notices on former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf and all successive chief executives, including Imran Khan and incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, for following an 'undeclared tacit approval of the policy regarding enforced disappearances'.

'Pervez Musharraf has candidly conceded in his autobiography, In the Line of Fire, that 'enforced disappearance' was an undeclared policy of the state,' the order said.

'The onus is on each chief executive to rebut the presumption and to explain why they may not be tried for the offence of high treason,' it added.

Justice Minallah reminded that the court order had asked the previous and...