Govt takes action on SC directives on missing persons

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has commenced the implementation of directives from the Supreme Court on missing persons.

Sources say the attorney general of Pakistan has written a letter to the defence and interior secretaries, instructing them to submit affidavits to the apex court and ensure that there will be no illegal disappearances in the future.

The letter refers to paragraph 11 of the Supreme Court orders dated January 3, wherein it was explicitly stated that moving forward there would be no illegal disappearances.

The Supreme Court’s directives require the submission of affidavits from key officers of the ministries concerned, wherein they should assure that there will be no illegal disappearances. These directives were issued in response to applications from Amna Masood Janjua and others. The caretaker government has now initiated the implementation of the Supreme Court’s directives. To begin with, the federal secretaries of defence and interior will submit assurances to the Supreme Court against illegal disappearances.