Govt helpless in missing persons case: Farhatullah

ISLAMABAD: Senator Farhatullah Babar Tuesday said the government is helpless in solving the issue of missing persons and the Senate Human Rights Committee is equally hapless on this matter.

“It is needed that the helpless and hapless should join hands and try to stop those powerful who were involved in missing persons’ case, ‘”he said while talking to media men after the meeting of the Committee in Karachi which was attended by Senator Nasreen Jalil, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Senator Nisar Muhammad Khan, IG Sindh Police, DG Rangers and Home Secretary Sindh attended the meeting.

Babar said that the committee had held its meeting in Karachi last year in September and also had some proposals to identify the individuals involved in missing persons’ case. “After one year, the committee has come to Karachi once again to find out progress in this case. It was found by the committee that no progress was made in this regard rather dozens more people have gone missing and government does not have any explanation,” he said.

He said that the committee has further given list of the people gone missing during last year. Committee instructed to furnish complete information regarding these missing persons and even Committee’s Chairperson Senator Nasreen Jalil also handed over one more list of missing persons to the authorities.

Babar said that it seems that there is a message for the Parliament because more persons have gone missing. He said that the biggest hurdle in solving this issue is that there is no identification of the people who are involve in these cases and no action has been taken against them.

He said that it is unfortunate and sad that there has been no progress in the death of a political worker Aftab Ahmad who died during detention. He said the concerned official said that he is unaware of the case as he has been posted recently. “The Committee last year had recommended inquiry into the death of Aftab Ahmad by another agency and not by the agency which had detained Aftab Ahmad and he died during that detention,” he said.