ISLAMABAD: The Defence of Human Rights (DHR) on Thursday said all efforts made for the recovery of missing persons have failed.

It appealed to the prime minister, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the army chief to address the issue otherwise a sit-in will be held in Islamabad from Jan 31.

Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, DHR chief Amina Masood Janjua said 32 people disappeared in 2021, out of which 12 were released and five others traced.

Advocates Imaan Hazir Mazari, retired Col Inamur Rahim, Raja Mushtaq and Omer Sohail were also present.

“Despite our problems, the new year brings new hopes for the return of our loved ones. Human rights defenders as well as families will continue their struggle and we demand that the government must take steps to resolve the burning issue of the disappeared as a top priority now,” she said.

“The outgoing year was more challenging than the previous ones as the victim families took their struggles to different high courts.

“The hopelessness derived from the commission led the victim families, human rights organisations to plead their cases in the courts.

“DHR alone filed over 20 cases of enforced disappearance in different high courts in 2021,” she said.

She alleged that the government had suppressed the voice of families.

“Whenever we tried to release a video regarding enforced disappearances or held an exhibition of books the premises were sealed which is a proof that there is a martial law regarding the issue of missing persons.

Moreover, a new law regarding missing persons will create problems for the families of missing persons rather than those who were involved in the heinous crime.

I myself presented recommendations regarding missing persons to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari but no development was observed,” she said.

Ms Janjua alleged that the National Commission on Human Rights was not cooperating with the families of missing persons.

“Political leaders while in the opposition assure us that they will speak about the issue but after coming to power they forget their promise.

“Now we are left with the only option to hold a sit-in. We have become fed up because no one is ready to listen to us and we warn that our sit-in can become a matter of embarrassment for Pakistan,” she said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rahim said cases of 8,000 missing persons were filed with the commission till Nov 30.

“It is unfortunate that when I started raising voice I myself became a missing person.

“The law regarding enforced disappearances was nothing but an eyewash. We demand that former Supreme Court judge Dost Mohammad should be appointed as head of the commission on enforced disappearances,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2021