Families of Shia missing persons to start sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi tomorrow

The Joint Action Committee for Shia Missing Persons announced on Wednesday it would start a sit-in tomorrow (April 2) and continue protesting till the recovery of all “missing’ persons” of the community.

Allama Ahmad Iqbal Rizvi, the Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen’s central deputy secretary-general and a leader of the action committee, made the announcement at a press conference. He said the Joint Action Committee, a joint platform of representative organisations of the Shia community, had given an ultimatum to the government to produce all missing persons in court by March 31; otherwise, it committee would stage a sit-in at Numaish Chowrangi.

Relatives of missing people, and leaders of the MWM, the Shia Ulema Council, Imamia Students Organisation and other Shia groups also attended the press conference. Rizvi described “the forced disappearance of patriotic people” as a violation of the constitution.

“Shia leaders have been in touch with various state institutions for almost two years, but no action has been taken. Now we are going for a nationwide protest from April 2, and all the political and religious parties of the country are with us.”

Rizvi said the protest would continue till the missing persons were recovered. Speakers at the press conference said the families of missing persons were facing immense economic difficulties to the extent that even their children could not continue their studies.