Missing persons’ families to get Rs 60,000 each, SC told
By: Terence J Sigamony
ISLAMABAD – Additional Attorney General KK Agha informed the court on Thursday that the government had decided to pay Rs 60,000 from Baitul Maal to the families of missing persons.
Justice Javed Iqbal heading a two-member bench comprising Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, which heard the missing persons’ case, remarked there was no dearth of funds in Baitul Maal, therefore the amount should be increased. Agha said it was minimum amount but the government had provided more to the families according to their family members and needs.
Azam Khattak, Balochistan Additional Advocate General, informed that the provincial government had distributed Rs 127 million among the families of those who died in target killings during the last three years.
Justice Javed also inquired from Agha about the chronic cases. The latter informed the court that the commission constituted to trace missing persons would submit its final report on chronic cases including Masood Janjua, Faisal Faraz, Dr Abid Sharif, Mansoor Mehdi, Ali Asghar, Abdul Rehman Tiwani and Attiq-ur-Rehman by the end of June. Amna Masood, wife of Masood Janjua, during the last hearing had said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik, appearing before the court, had stated that he would share some information about her husband with the honourable judge in his chamber. She requested Justice Javed Iqbal to share the information with her if the minister had told him something about his husband. The honourable judge stated if he had any information it would definitely be communicated to her.
Ikram Chaudhry complained that Lal Masjid case had not been taken up despite requests. Justice Javed said fixing of cases was prerogative of the chief justice of Pakistan, but he would talk to him for fixing the same soon.
Irfan Durrani, Deputy Director Intelligence Bureau, denied the allegation that he was involved in the missing of Dr Fatima. But the court directed the police that if they find incriminating evidence against him they should proceed in accordance with law.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court remarked that intelligence agencies — Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence — performed duties to the best of their abilities, therefore maligning or criticising them for the misdemeanor of few individuals of the agencies was not right.
Justice Javed Iqbal said: “There could be lapses but as a nation we should not criticise our agencies as they have been functioning for protection of the country.”
He said the services of the agencies were before the whole nation, therefore due to misdeed of a few the whole force could not be held responsible. He, however, stated that no agency or institution is above the constitution, adding the issue of missing persons had become permanent national phenomenon.
Ikram Chaudhary, counsel for missing persons, said as long as the Americans continue to interfere in Pakistan’s affairs the missing persons phenomenon would continue. He said the court should not give latitude to the agencies which were involved in lifting of innocent citizens. Justice Javed said due to the efforts of this court many missing persons had been recovered.
The court directed the ministry of foreign affairs secretary to furnish extensive report about the Pakistanis languishing in foreign jails and the assistance provided to them by the Pakistani missions abroad. The court noted that hundreds of Pakistanis were detained in Thailand, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran and Dubai’s prisons, but the Pakistani envoys had not provided them legal assistance.
The case was adjourned for two weeks.
Source: The Nation
Date:5/20/2011
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