ISLAMABAD: February 19, 2024: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday took serious notice of absence of caretaker prime minister, Anwaarul Haq Kakar and re-summoned him in forced missing persons case on February 28, 2024.
An IHC single bench of judge Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani had summoned caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar today (Monday) in forced disappearances case. On the outset of the hearing, the judge asked to attorney general as to why caretaker prime minister, Anwaarul Haq Kakar, did not appear before the court in the case. Attorney general informed to the court that the caretaker prime minister could not appear in the court today (Monday) due to his pre-occupied engagements.
On this the judge ruled that appearance of prime minister in the court is also equally important and he (Anwaarul Haq Kakar) must ensure this presence in the court on the next hearing fixed for February 28, 2024. The judge deplored that since 2022 the court made many hearings in the case, but unfortunately no progress has been made in this case. He said none of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) rule did any practical work to address the issue of forced disappearances. He observed that the international community is also expressing concern over forced disappearances and if this practice continues it can invite restriction on Pakistan. IHC is hearing the forced missing persons case. After Monday’s hearing, the court ordered to form a committee of the heads of Military Intelligence (MI), Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) and ruled that the committee will be questionable for any case of forced disappearance.
PTI leader and member national assembly elect , Shair Afzal Marwat informed the court that a group of people in plain raided at his home and took away his lab top to harass him and he ran away from his house to avoid his arrest. He also informed the court that most cases of forced disappearances are happening in the federal capital. The court after hearing the point of view of Shair Afzal Marwat ruled that its extremely unfortunate that the people are disappearing from the city where the prime minister has his office. Amaan Mizari, the counsel for the petitioner told the court that five Baloch students were arrested from Islamabad last week.
After hearing the arguments of Shair Afzal Marwat and Amaan Mizari, the court ruled that the cases should be registered against the secretary Interior and Islamabad police chief and re-fixed the case for February 28, 2024.
