PESHAWAR: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday remarked that the responsibility for missing persons’ recovery on the Prime Minister (PM) and cabinet members, and why not they pay compensation instead by the state.
A two-judge bench of IHC headed by Justice Athar Minallah was hearing the case relating to the disappearance of journalist and blogger Mudassar Naro. When the hearing begun, Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shereen Mazari, said that she is in touch with relevant authorities to recover the missing journalist. Mazari said that the government is processing to compensate Naro’s family on monthly basis.
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On this the chief justice said that the prime minister and members of the cabinet are there to serve the people. “It is not a matter of summaries or reports. The state has to satisfy the children and parents of the missing persons. The state has the responsibility to take care of their children and listen to the affected family,” Justice Minallah said.
Additional Attorney General sought one more week, Justice Minallah angrily said: “What are you talking about, a man has been missing for three years and you are asking for more time.” Justice Athar Minallah remarked, “What will be the reaction of the state if a loved one of a public office holder goes missing? The whole machinery will move into action. The state’s response should be the same when a civilian disappear,” remarked. The chief justice further said, “The response of the state to the recovery of missing persons is ineffective. It will be failure of the state of a resident reports that loved one is missing.”
The journalist and blogger Mudassar Naro went missing in August 2018 when he went to the northern areas with his wife Sadaf and then six-month-old son. No further details about his whereabouts have been shared. The court directed the government to satisfy the family of journalist and blogger Mudassar Naro and sought reply from Federal Minister for Human Rights Shirin Mazari at the next hearing.