Why People Are Still Being Picked Up, Asks IHC Chief Justice.

ISLAMABAD -- Expressing his displeasure over non-implementation of court's orders, Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah Friday remarked that the state was involved in the practice of enforced disappearances and if prime minister is helpless in this matter then the Constitution holds him responsible.

The IHC Chief Justice made the remarks while hearing five identical petitions for the recovery of missing persons including the journalist Mudassir Naro and summoned the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to appear before the court in person on the next hearing.

Previously, the same IHC bench had directed the federal government to issue notices to General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and all other successor Chief Executives i.e the former Prime Ministers, including the incumbent holder of the office in the matter of enforced disappearances. During the hearing, the IHC chief justice stated that police were involved in extrajudicial killings while government agencies were blamed for abducting people. He added that every day people are being disappeared but no one bothers. If the prime minister is helpless, then the constitution holds him responsible.

He lamented that the federal government had not taken missing persons' cases seriously. He asked from the deputy attorney general that why people were still being 'picked up' and what steps has the federal government taken and who is responsible for this phenomenon.

The deputy attorney general replied that the federal cabinet had constituted a committee on missing persons and would make recommendations on missing persons' cases.

Then Justice Athar asked from him that whether the government had taken affidavits from former chief executives, including former president General Pervez...