Intelligence agencies not involved in missing persons cases, Malik tells SC
ISLAMABAD, May 2 (APP): Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik on Monday requested the Supreme Court to declare missing persons as untraced people in order to dispel the wrong impression created about intelligence agencies’ role.He was briefing a three-member bench comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain that resumed hearing of missing persons cases.Enumerating his efforts for recovery of missing persons, he said that when he took charge, there were 6,000 cases but now these had been reduced to 55.He said the families of chronic cases would be dully compensated.
About Balochistan cases, he said that Balochistan Liberation Army, an outlawed organization and Balochistan Students organization were involved in such cases.
Balochistan province was a target of international conspiracy, he added.He said that incidents of target killing and abduction were decreasing in Balochistan.
He said if allowed for a in-camera briefing, he could tell what means they were using.“What people are involved, what are their telephone numbers, how the money is passed on and paid and how the youth is not only selected, but also trained for these type of activities in Balochistan,” he added.
He said that around 4,000 youth from Balochistan were sent to Afghanistan to get training for terrorist activities and those who went there had been branded as missing ones.
“There is a clear-cut plan to destabilize the country and every body precsely wants to know about those forces who are involved in such activities,” he added.
The Interior minister further said “I would not call them Taliban, they are higher assassinators.”
He apprised the court that a number of youths from Balochistan had been arrested in Sindh who had been planning terrorist activities.
Malik revealed that some persons had also been arrested who were planning to attack the President of Pakistan in Larkana.
Justice Javed Iqbal remarked that the court never aimed at demoralizing the intelligence agencies, however the efficiency of agencies could be examined on the basis of numbers of missing persons.
The Minister said that all the Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) were complying with the orders of Supreme Court and FIRs had been registered over untraced persons.
During course of hearing, President of Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir pointed out that judicial commission for recovery of missing persons, recommended some missing persons trial in the military court, which would not be tolerated.
Justice Javed Iqbal said that Supreme Court would not endorse these recommendations.The hearing was further adjourned for two-weeks.
The bench is seized with hearing of a number of missing persons cases moved by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Defence for Human Rights and other individual cases.