KARACHI: An inquiry commission on enforced disappearances mainly from Sindh and Balochistan has come to know that three of the 32 missing persons are in the custody of the law enforcement agencies for their alleged involvement in criminal cases, while all the other ‘missing persons’ have returned home, according to a statement and sources close to the process said on Thursday.

The commission, headed by retired Justice Javed Iqbal with retired Justice Dr Ghous Muhammad as its member, recently concluded the hearings in Karachi to look into the 32 cases of missing persons from Sindh and Balochistan.

The bench was told by the police authorities that all the 32 cases, which were taken up by the commission, had been traced.

“The hearings were held on Jan 18 and 19 at Pakistan Secretariat,” said a brief statement of the Sindh police. “The DIG crime branch and focal person for missing persons Azhar Rasheed Khan and Inspector Altaf Awan, who is in charge of the police’s human rights cell, appeared before the commission. The commission was told that 29 cases have been traced in record time.”

A source privy to the recently held hearings of the commission said the commission was also informed about the three other missing persons who were in the custody of the law enforcement agencies for their involvement in criminal cases. They were either under remand of 90 days or put behind bars, he said.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CIED) for recovery of missing persons was set up some five years ago.

Under the defined mechanism, Justice Ghaus takes up cases related to Sindh and Balochistan as a single bench and then referred some of them to the larger bench headed by Justice Iqbal, which recently conducted hearings in Karachi.

The single bench, the source said, would resume its hearing from Jan 26 to take more than 180 cases of missing persons from Sindh and Balochistan. He said the commission also kept informed the UN working group on enforced disappearances about the progress of its proceedings and results.

“Apart from regular hearing, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders also called on the commission members,” said the source.

“The MQM leaders had come up with their complaints about enforced disappearances of their workers, mainly from Karachi, during the past few months. They also handed over a list of their workers who are stilling missing.”

Asked if they were linked to any of the 32 cases of missing persons, the source said the MQM workers were also among those cases traced by the police and other law enforcement agencies.

The commission assured the MQM delegation of looking into party’s grievances in line with its mandate and set rules.

“The MQM claimed to have a list of more than 150 activists during the past several months and the party dubbed all of them as missing persons,” said the source.

“The single bench of the commission would resume its job next week to take up more than 180 cases. During the hearing, the commission also sought reports and input from intelligences agencies, police, the Rangers and senior officials of the home department.”

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2016