SWAT: Families of the missing persons on Monday demonstrated here on Monday, demanding early recovery of their loved ones.

Holding photos of their missing relatives, the protesters gathered in front of Swat Press Club and chanted slogans, demanding of the authorities to let them know about their whereabouts.

The protesters, including Syed Karimullah, Syed Rahim, Shahid Ali Khan, Nasir, Aminuddin and Mohammad Ihsan, said their five loved ones, who had been missing for last 10 years, should be produced in courts.

The protesters said they were in agony as they did not know whether their loved ones were alive or dead, and appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the army chief and the prime minister to help in tracing whereabouts of the missing persons.

They said the families of the missing persons were living a very hard life since they had gone missing.

The protesters alleged that many other people were still in custody of security forces even after serving their jail terms. “Families, especially women and children, of the missing persons have no one to take care of them,” a protester bemoaned, saying they were dependent upon their neighbours and relatives for food and medical treatment.

The protesters demanded that they should be allowed to visit their loved ones languishing in jails.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2022