IHC releases written order in Baloch missing students case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday released written order in the implementation case of the recommendations of a commission on the missing Baloch students.

The IHC had summoned the prime minister, interior minister, defence and human rights ministers in the case. The IHC had also summoned interior and defence secretaries at 11:00am on November 29. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani has released the court written order of the previous hearing comprising five pages.

According to the court order, 69 Baloch students were subjected to racial profiling, harassed and forced disappearance. According to the record, some disappeared students were later returned to homes while 50 of them were still missing, the court order reads.

Former chief justice IHC Athar Minallah had constituted the commission. The additional attorney general confessed that still some students were missing. According to the order prime minister and interior minister, both from Balochistan, had failed to take any positive step. Even after 21 hearings, absence of positive results is an insult of the constitution of Pakistan, the order reads.

The courts remain the last ray of hope for the oppressed and the lethargic attitude of officials has jolted the people’s confidence over the superior judiciary, order reads. It is the matter of concern that the students are still missing and could not recovered, the bench remarked.

The court has reached the conclusion that the federal government has been tackling the matter non-seriously. The government of Pakistan is responsible for the rights of citizens but it could not prevent violations of human rights, the bench observed, There is no way out except to summon the prime minister and ministers of interior and defence to inform the court why the matter is not being given due importance.

Hopefully the prime minister, ministers and secretaries will appear in the court with substantial results and inform it that missing students have reached their homes, Justice Kayani said. “If any student has been involved in anti-state activities, he should be produced in court concerned. In case of failure, it will be deemed that the above persons are working against the interests of the state,” the court said.

“It will also be deemed that these persons have been part of that system which commits human rights violations and they will be considered silent spectators over human rights violations being committed in their presence, according to the court.