Unheard grievances

June 03, 2022

This refers to the editorial, ‘Justice for the missing’ (May 31). It has discussed a sensitive issue about forced disappearances from various parts of the country. It was in 2011 that the state set up a commission on forced disappearances when the total number of missing persons was 7,000. Even though some people were traced, this practice, which saw a rapid rise during Gen Musharraf’s tenure, continues unabated to date.

The constitution does not allow any law-enforcement agencies to pick up citizens without arrest warrants. It is mandatory for the authorities to inform the families of suspects about their arrests. The practice of forced disappearance is going on with impunity. The remedy does not lie in hearing ‘missing persons’ cases, but in putting an end to this practice. People are taken into custody, and a majority of them die in detention. Our judicial system has failed to provide proper relief to aggrieved families.

Mukhtar Ahmed

Karachi