Chief Justice declines to receive visiting United Nation delegation
By: Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday expressed his inability to receive the visiting UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and to discuss the matter of missing persons’ cases, which are sub judice.
The group is visiting Pakistan from September 10 to 20 on the invitation of the government to gather information on cases of enforced disappearances pending before the Working Group. They will also study the measures adopted by the state to prevent and eradicate enforced disappearances, including issues related to truth, justice and reparation for the victims of enforced disappearances.
According to a statement issued here by the office of the Supreme Court, two letters were received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, saying the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances was visiting Pakistan on the invitation of the Government of Pakistan and would be in Islamabad on September 18-19, 2012.
The working group had expressed its desire to meet with the chief justice of Pakistan and the ministry supported the meeting of the group with the CJ. However, through a letter dated September 10, 2012, the SC informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that as the cases of missing persons were pending before the Supreme Court, therefore, propriety demanded that the CJ should not discuss the matter with anyone since it was sub judice.
The country’s highest court conveyed its regrets to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing the inability of the chief justice to receive the UN delegation, the statement added.
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