PESHAWAR: The rights activists held a protest demonstration here on Thursday to express solidarity with the families of the missing persons.

They demanded of the government to take pragmatic steps for recovery of the missing persons as early as possible. The demonstration was arranged by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for early recovery of the missing persons.

They also chanted slogans in support of the affected families and against the forced disappearances.

The HRCP representatives told journalists that forced disappearance was heinous crime and it was duty of the government and law enforcement agencies to play active role in recovery of the people at the earliest.

They said that August 30 was an international day of solidarity with the families of missing persons to assure them that civil society organisations were there to raise voice for recovery of the missing persons and support their families in the efforts they were making for solution to their issues.

The rights activists said that missing persons should be presented to the relevant courts of law, if they were in detention centres, so that they could get justice. The protest demonstration was also attended by members of minority groups.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2018