Supreme Court seeks recommendations in missing children case

LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has asked the Punjab government to prepare recommendations with the help of civil society about welfare of the children and submit before the court.

A two-judge bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, issued these directions to the Advocate General of Punjab appearing before the court in a matter of missing children.

Appearing before the court, Asma Jahangir, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, objecting to the report of the police that most of the children went missing due to personal enmity of the families, said it was a crime and police could not absolve itself from the responsibility of recovery of the children by saying so.

She said kidnapper gangs were involved and even some parents due to poverty sell their children. The other member on the bench, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, remarked that it is the social, cultural and economic problem of our society. He said there is a need to work in the slums for awareness and welfare of children.

He said it is the responsibility of the State to provide the basic facilities of health and education but the State is not realising its responsibility. The CJP said the government had done nothing for welfare with the increase of the population. He said no census took place and we have no figures about how many people are living in our country and what are their needs.

The court also took the matter of two missing girls Rimsha Khan (7) and Humaira (8) of Shujaabad. They went missing in 2011 but so far could not be recovered. However, on the request of the police, the court gave one month’s time to recover the girls.