July 26, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 25: The Supreme Court asked the Balochistan government on Friday to trace the people who had been missing from Dera Bugti for 10 years.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Mohamad Qaim Jan Khan and Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf took up two appeals of Ms Mooran Khatoon of Sui against an order of the Balochistan High Court and asked Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum to submit a report in a month on facts pertaining to the abduction of Abdul Wahid and Allah Mohammad and their possible whereabouts.

Converting the petitions into appeals, the bench directed the Sibi sessions judge to issue and execute arrest warrants for eight accused involved in the abduction of Yar Mohammad alias Yaroo — Abdul Karim, Ghulam Mustafa, Naseer Khan, Denu, Shahu, Ghulam Siddiq and Ghulam Nabi.

The next hearing will be in September.

Ms Khatoon filed the appeals against the exoneration of the accused by the BHC from charges of kidnapping for ransom without recovery of the two missing people.

Senator Babar Awan, counsel for Ms Khatoon, argued that under Article 9 of the Constitution it was the duty of the state to protect its citizens, but so far it had failed to trace or recover the abducted people.

He pointed out certain lapses in the judgment of the high court and said the acquittal of the accused in a case of such a horrific crime was totally unwarranted.