Missing persons case: IG FC issued contempt of court notice

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

Missing persons case: IG FC issued contempt of court notice

Dawn News Published December 5, 2013

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday served a contempt of court notice to the inspector general of the Frontier Corps (FC) for not complying with its order in a case relating to the 'missing persons' of Balochistan.

This is the first time that a serving general has been issued a contempt of court notice. The court had previously warned IG FC Maj-Gen Ijaz Shahid that he may face contempt charges if he fails to appear before it on Dec 5.

During proceedings today, Attorney General Irfan Qadir appeared in court as counsel for Maj-Gen Shahid. However, the court said that the IG FC would not be given any leverage as long as he refuses to appear in court himself.

Heading the three-judge bench, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the IG FC should physically appear in court and explain his reasons for not obeying the orders of the court.

The chief justice directed the secretary interior to issue a notice to Maj-Gen Shahid and ensure his presence in court.

In a parrallel case relating to disappearance of one Yasin Shah and similar enforced disappearances, the federal government was yet again unable to present the remaining missing persons. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif pleaded the three-judge bench of the apex court for further time to produce the victims. However, the court rejected the plea.

The Supreme Court had given the government a final deadline of Thursday to produce the 33 missing persons.

The chief justice remarked that the court should summon somebody else if the defence minister was helpless.

Asif told the bench that the whereabouts of five to seven missings persons had been ascertained, but he was unable to reveal that information in public and requested an in-camera hearing.

Responding to the request, the chief justice asked the defence minister to first produce the 30 missing persons and then an in-camera briefing would be held in the judge’s chamber.

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sabeeh omer

Dec 05, 2013 04:57pm

Long live the Chief Justice!

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Akram

Dec 05, 2013 05:30pm

this is the front line of a struggle between the forces or civility and an army who thinks it is above the law. what the CJ is doing will have repercussions for generations ahead, and it must be so that the army is made to obey the law like everyone else. If they don't like it they should be relieved of their command.

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Nadeem

Dec 05, 2013 08:35pm

I think CJ is trying to be funny. He should know his boundaries and try to confine himself within them.

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Abdulla Hussain

Dec 05, 2013 09:24pm

These 33 missing persons have living close relatives waiting to receive their loved ones. If any of the missing person committed a crime, he should be made to face a transparent trial, but keeping in without a trace is a crime well questioned & marked by the Chief justice.

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Mustafa

Dec 05, 2013 11:08pm

Now when CJ is going to retire he is taking these steps. CJ should have done it long ago. I don't think he will be able to take this missing persons' case to its logical conclusion. Justice is delayed a lot here.

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Omer

Dec 05, 2013 11:50pm

Iftikhar Ch is following populist theme instead of dispensing justice which is his primary job. While nobody is above law, that would include his son who became billionaire in no time, and Mr Iftikhar Ch himself, who, in blatant violation of the provisions of the constitution, is interfering in the executive and legislative domain for satisfaction of his personal grandiose. History will remember him as one CJP of who did not decide a single case in his over five years term after reinstatement, other than quitting his son

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syed

Dec 06, 2013 04:01am

Prime Minister should be asked to appear in court and give factual position, if he proves that the missing persons are highly dangerous and anti state, he be asked to file cases in court against them without complicating matter.

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