Senate body stresses to resolve missing persons’ issue

ISLAMABAD: Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Monday expressed concern over lack of progress on the issue of missing persons in Pakistan. Committee Chairperson Nasreen Jalil expressed annoyance over absence of Chairman of Missing Persons Commission in the meeting held here at Parliament House.

She said hundreds of persons were missing and their families were suffering, but there was no one to redress their grievances.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said the committee wanted to know the performance of the Missing Persons Commission and the number of cases which were sent to courts for decision. He lamented that institutions of the country had failed on the matter of missing persons and performance of Missing Persons Commission was also questionable.

Those involved in such incidents were identified but not punished so far, he added. The issue of those abducted during NA-120 election in a mysterious way was also raised.

Senator Nisar Muhammad remarked disappearance of missing persons during the bye election in Lahore was a political matter. Senator Kareem Khawaja said Pakistan had to resolve this matter on its own as if this matter was raised at United Nations, it would give bad name to the country.

Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said under National Plan Action, it was necessary to present an arrested accused before the court. The relatives of missing persons for the last three to four years were still in the camps with their children, waiting for help, he added.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said the 2012 report of United Nations Working Group and report of Missing Persons Commission should be made public. The Senators also stressed that Pakistan must become signatory to United Nations Convention on Missing Persons with some conditions and Interior Ministry should devise a mechanism to look into the matter of missing persons.