PESHAWAR: No joy for families of ‘missing persons’
By Waseem Ahmad Shah
PESHAWAR, Oct 23: The festival of Eid brought anything but joy for families of scores of missing persons allegedly picked up by intelligence agencies.
With each passing day, these families become more desperate with clue to whereabouts of their dear ones who went missing months ago and some of them even two to three years ago.
Mohammad Israr, whose brother Ali Sher has been missing since May 3, 2005, said: “In the absence of my brother, when I am not sure whether he is dead or alive, how can I celebrate Eid.”
Ali Sher was allegedly picked up from Mardan 18 days after his marriage. During his absence, his wife gave birth to a baby girl who is now eight months old.
“I can’t look at my old parents when I return home as they often ask if there is any information about Ali,” Israr said.
Close relatives of the people picked up from different areas expressed almost feelings. Their stories are identical and they have been passing through the same agony and misery.
Brother of one of the five suspects arrested from Chitral during the Shandur festival this year feared for the safety of his brother. “I have been moving from pillar to post in search of my brother Naeem who has been missing since early July.”
An intelligence agency had picked up eight people travelling in a pick-up in Chitral. A news item appeared regarding their detention which stated that the agency was suspecting them of being involved in the murder of a religious figure in Gilgit.
Three of the detainees, including the driver and cleaners of the vehicle, were later released, but the remaining are still in detention.
The brother of Naeem, one of the detainees, told Dawn that his brother was only 17 and had passed the Grade 9 examination in Shabqadar, Charssada.
Haji Noor Mohammad, the 75-year-old father of Hayat Khan, told Dawn that he should have been at least informed regarding the whereabouts of his son.
The bed-ridden old man said that his son was going to Dubai as a labourer when he was arrested at the Islamabad International Airport on March 12 and had not heard anything about him.
He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the disappearances. He said that his son was the sole bread earner of the family and since his disappearance they had been facing extreme financial crisis. Hayat’s wife and five children have eagerly been waiting for his release.
“I miss my father. My mother told me that he is in Karachi and will return soon,” said Owais Khan, the six-year-old son of Hayat.
At the time of his arrest his children and friends were also present at the airport.
Similarly, family members of Ibne Amin and Umer Rehman, who went missing in August 2004 from Peshawar and Swat respectively, said that each passing day brought more misery for them.
A close relative of Ibne Amin said: “At least these agencies should inform us where Ibne is,” adding that in the absence of the detainee his wife gave birth to a baby girl who was now 20 months old.
Most of these families have now been finding solace in the movement launched by an NGO, Defence of Human Rights, and Ms Amina Masood Janjua, spouse of missing person Masood Janjua, who was allegedly picked up on July 30, 2005, in Rawalpindi.
Some members of these families paid frequent visits to Islamabad to participate in protest demonstrations. A few days ago they staged a demonstration near the office of the ISI in Islamabad.
The brother of one of the detainees said: “Amina Aapa has turned into a symbol of courage for all of us and we now hope that our joint struggle will bear some fruit.”
