ISLAMABAD: Expressing displeasure over the government’s “lethargy” to counter the menace of enforced disappearances, a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday questioned how such state of affairs would attract foreign investment in Pakistan.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb made the observations during the hearing of a petition seeking the recovery of PTI’s missing social media activist Malik Faizan.

The judge pointed out that the world is observing the outcomes of the cases related to enforced disappearances. He wondered whether the government would admit that the world comes here and make investment, but people would still go missing and courts would not be able to do anything.

Addressing the government’s representative, Justice Aurangzeb said if the detenue has done any illegal act, he must be produced before a relevant forum. However, he said, the court would not allow illegal detention of any citizen.

Wonders if foreign investors will come to Pakistan amid prevalence of enforced disappearances

Meanwhile, the court directed the secretary, interior division, and the Islamabad police to produce the brothers of PTI’s social media activist Azhar Mashwani by Aug 20.

He warned that appropriate action would be taken against the authorities concerned if the missing brothers of Mr Mashwani were not recovered by the said date.

The petition stated that Mazharul Hassan and Zahoorul Hassan went missing on June 6 and their whereabouts were still not known.

The court was informed that police and other relevant departments could not recover the two men despite the court’s directive.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2024