ISLAMABAD: During the hearing of a case of missing Baloch students in the Islamabad High
Court, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani remarked that there is an objection to the
illegal work of the agencies, not to stop them from working according to the law.
It would be good if the working procedures of the agencies were clarified, the
judge said.
Justice Kayani heard the case regarding the implementation of the
recommendations of a commission set up regarding the recovery of Baloch students.
The attorney general for Pakistan appeared in court on being summoned, along
with lawyers Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha, on behalf of the missing Baloch
students.
At the beginning of the hearing, the attorney general presented the report of the
Committee on Missing Persons to the court.
Justice Kayani said that this court had formed a committee, which had some TORs,
including how many cases of terrorism were registered against Baloch students in
the last 10 years. None of the courts, judges, lawyers, journalists, parliamentarians
talk about stopping the agencies from working according to the law, but only talked
about stopping them from working against the law.
The court stated that according to the law, the FIA, and police can conduct an
investigation, and the agencies can assist them. The judge noted that everyone has to
work within the jurisdiction of law, and no one can stop the agencies from working
according to the law. “We have to make the police, CTD and FIA effective, as these
organisations have to investigate, while the other agencies can assist them,” he
remarked.
Justice Kayani remarked that it is alleged that many people are in the custody of the
agencies. He asked if there is an annual audit of agency funds since they must be
spending on food and other expenses also, but the state is being charged for it.
The court noted that no one has any objection to the operations of the agencies, but
the only issue is their working outside the law. The prime minister was called and
he also said the same thing. “We all have to work within the jurisdiction of the
law,” Justice Kayani further pointed out, adding that the country had lost 70,000
lives to terrorism and the authority given under the legal sphere has to be
implemented.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan told the court that the state will have to
show sympathy, as the economy has gone down a lot, asking that under these
circumstances, how domestic or foreign investors will invest here.
The court said that the administrative committee of the Islamabad High Court has
separated the revenue-related cases yesterday, adding that the court will dispose of
the revenue-related cases as soon as possible as a model.
Lawyer Imaan Mazari told the court that a committee for missing persons was
formed, but none of its members went to meet the relatives of the missing persons,
and there was no progress, adding that no information was provided to the relatives
of the missing persons as well.
The court noted that many missing persons have reached their homes due to the
efforts of the attorney general.
Justice Kayani observed that as long as the cases of missing persons continue to
come, the courts will continue to work, adding that there is not a single case on
which they can issue an order and dispose of it. He added that criticism goes on.
The AGP told the court that the matter related to missing persons will be taken up
in the next two meetings of the cabinet, suggesting the court change the composition
of the committee in terms of the DG ISI, DG MI and DG IB. He proposed that
officials of lower ranks than DGs should be included in the committee to facilitate
coordination. The court said an order would be issued.
The court later adjourned the case till June 14 for further hearing, directing the
attorney general to submit the answers to the questionnaire at the next hearing.