Justice Ejaz Afzal on Monday said that the Supreme Court should be informed "in black and white" what the allegations against missing persons are.

A two-member bench of the SC was hearing an application filed by the chairperson of the Defence of Human Rights Organisation, Amina Janjua.

"If anyone has committed a crime, they should be punished," Justice Afzal said. "If an innocent is detained in internment centre, they should be released."

He added that anyone accused of a crime should be punished according to the law.

He also expressed irritation at the orders of the court not being implemented. "A report on missing persons was sought in the previous hearing," he recalled.

Justice Afzal also recalled that he had ordered a meeting to be arranged between a missing individual, Tasif Ali Malik, and his family, but the order had not been implemented. He again asked the authorities to ensure Malik meets his family within a week.

Janjua informed the judge that the Commission on Missing Persons had not provided the families of missing individuals with their report.

Tariq Asad, one of the petitioners' counsel, informed the court that security forces had attempted to frame some people, picked up from Rajanpur, in the Sehwan blast case. However, "Inspector General Sindh A.D. Khwaja saved one person from being framed in the case."

Sajid Ilyas Bhatti, the government's counsel, said that interment camps were a matter relating to the Home Department and the tribal areas. He added that he had not received any official report on the issue as yet.

The hearing was adjourned indefinitely.

Opinion

Editorial

IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...
Saudi FM’s visit
Updated 17 Apr, 2024

Saudi FM’s visit

The government of Shehbaz Sharif will have to manage a delicate balancing act with Pakistan’s traditional Saudi allies and its Iranian neighbours.
Dharna inquiry
17 Apr, 2024

Dharna inquiry

THE Supreme Court-sanctioned inquiry into the infamous Faizabad dharna of 2017 has turned out to be a damp squib. A...
Future energy
17 Apr, 2024

Future energy

PRIME MINISTER Shehbaz Sharif’s recent directive to the energy sector to curtail Pakistan’s staggering $27bn oil...