Intelligence officials should be prosecuted over enforced disappearances: IHC judge

According to Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC, state institutions do not adhere to the rule of law.

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stated that enforced disappearances occur because state institutions do not believe in the rule of law and called for the prosecution of intelligence agency officials.

“Is it difficult for the police to write a supplementary statement [in the FIR] and charge the intelligence officers? “Time will come when intelligence officers will be prosecuted,” the IHC judge said on Wednesday during a hearing on a petition filed by lawyer Imaan Mazari to recover missing Baloch students.

Justice Kayani stated that the prime minister, interior, and defense secretaries must sign an affidavit stating that enforced disappearances will not occur again.

“Police are the front face of the state, other institutions are not..,” he went on to say.

The IHC judge stated that terrorist trials take place in anti-terrorism courts. “Is it forbidden to hold the trial of Baloch extremists in the same courts?” Asked Justice Kayani.

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The IHC judge also requested that the federal government reinstate anti-terrorism courts in Balochistan to hold trials for the accused, noting that the petitioners seeking the return of missing Baloch students did not want to protect terrorists.

“The concept of missing persons is only found in Pakistan, not in other countries,” the lawyer said.

During the hearing, the IHC judge expressed concern for the well-being of the recovered individuals.

“No missing Baloch person has ever approached me after recovery…”I’m not sure if the recovered people are fine.”

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The IHC judge also asked petitioner Mazari if the protest sit-in against enforced disappearances is still ongoing.

Mazari informed the court that the Baloch protesters’ sit-in was still ongoing, and they had been harassed again despite the court’s orders.

The IHC postponed the hearing of the case until February 13.