HYDERABAD: A group of rights activists held a token hunger strike for the recovery of many people who, they believe, were “victims of enforced disappearance” and demanded that they be produced in a court of law if wanted by police in any unlawful activity.

The protesters said activists of different political parties had gone missing months and weeks ago mysteriously and they had never been produced in any court of law. If they were found involved in any criminal activity, they must be dealt with under law, they argued.

They appealed to the chief justices of Pakistan and the Sindh High Court, rights bodies and the International Court of Justice to play their role and ensure their recovery. They also condemned disappearance of activists in Karachi during a protest.

They cut a cake for Mehran Mirani, a missing person, at the hunger strikers camp.

The protesters included Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Dr Niaz Kalani, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan coordinator for Sindh Imdad Chandio, writer Taj Joyo, Sindhu Nawaz Ghanghro, Sojhro Sindhi, Comrade Iqbal of the Communist Party of Pakistan and Sassui Lohar of the Voice for Missing Persons.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2020