ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: The Sindh police chief informed the Supreme Court on Monday that ‘the centuries-old decadent culture’ of bonded labour in the province was behind the disappearance of a nine-member peasant family since 1998 and ‘the biggest stumbling block’ in recovering them.

A three-member bench of the apex court – comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad – is conducting hearing in the case on the application of Swedish human rights activist Torborg Isakssan.

In is report to the Supreme Court, IGP Sindh Jahangir Mirza said currently he could not show any tangible progress as to the recovery of the missing family. Police efforts might succeed one day, he hoped.

In 1996, Munnu Bheel and his family as well as 71 other peasants – who were forced to work on the lands of Abdul Rehman Marri – was rescued by a special task force of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) with the help of the local administration.

However, on February 4, 1998, nine members of the Munnu Bheel family were again kidnapped allegedly by the same landlord after the family failed to return a loan of Rs190,000.

The abducted family members were Kheero (father, 70), Shirimati Akhu (mother, 60), Shirimati Moutan (wife, 40), Jalal (brother, 25), Shirimati Mumal (daughter, 13), Chamio (son, 10), Kanjee (son, 8), Shirimati Dhailee (daughter) and a relative Katro.

Later, on the intervention of the apex court, the Sindh police arrested one Abdul Rehman Marri for his alleged involvement in the abduction of the Munnu Bheel family.

On Monday, Advocate General Sindh Anwar Mansoor submitted a report to the Supreme Court on behalf of the IGP Sindh, stating that the provincial government had offered a reward of Rs5 million for a tip-off leading to the recovery of the peasant family.

"It is hoped that the incentive would go a long way in helping the police to have a positive response from the public, which was lacking till now," the report stated.