SHC seeks report on compensation to families of missing persons.

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court (SHC) has expressed resentment against provincial authorities over a delay in providing financial assistance to the families of the victims of enforced disappearance and directed the home secretary to file a detailed report.

It also asked the home secretary to provide details till Nov 1 about the compensation so far paid to the families as well as the pending cases.

The court further directed the authorities to use modern devices to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons as it was the duty of the state to trace such persons.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto passed such directives while hearing a set of identical petitions seeking the whereabouts of the missing persons.

It observed that the SHC had passed directives for financial help in several cases of the 'enforced disappearance', but positive response was not received from the home department.

'Secretary to the government of Sindh, home department, is directed to look into the matter and file his specific response, else to appear in person on the next date of hearing. Home secretary shall also submit the report regarding the cases in which compensation has been paid to the families of missing persons and the details of the cases which are still pending before him,' it added.

The bench also asked the ministries of interior and defence to collect reports from the agencies working under their control in respect of the missing persons and file all such reports before it till the next hearing.

It deplored that most of the cases were discussed before the joint investigation team (JIT) and provincial taskforce (PTF) for missing persons, but still...