HYDERABAD: Family members of alleged missing persons whose whereabouts remained unknown for a long time and they were not produced in any court of law demanded on Saturday information on such persons.

They said at a joint press conference at local press club that keeping someone in captivity was not only unlawful but also inhuman. They were working for the release of all missing persons by using the platform, Voice for Missing Persons (VMP).

“If there are cases of serious nature those should be brought before a court of law,” said Soorath Lohar, daughter of deceased Hidayat Lohar.

Soorath’s father himself remained missing for a long before being released. He was then killed in a targeted attack in upper Sindh.

Ms Soorath said that if someone was facing charges in court it gave a consolation to his family which could meet him in jail or in courts. But, she said, in case of missing persons the families were never off the hook, they remained unsure whether their loved one was alive or dead.

Sakina Mirani, mother of another alleged missing person, Zareena Sarvech, mother of Sarvech Noohani and Sindhu Aman Chandio and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) representative, Imdad Chandio, said that incidents of missing persons had increased.

According to their list, 21 persons were either recently picked up or were in captivity but their whereabouts had not been known since they were waylaid by unidentified persons in different districts.

They said that it was violation of human rights and demanded of rights bodies to play their role for the release of political activists. If these activists faced any charges they should be provided an opportunity to defend themselves in courts, they said.

They said that this undeclared operation against activists must stop.

Following May 20 incident in Moro police authorities unleashed a reign of terror against residents of Leghari Bajarani village and around 50 residents were picked up and implicated in false cases, they said.

They said all those involved in the Moro incident should be brought to justice.

They said that Sindh was also witnessing cases of forced conversion of Hindu girls for a long time.

These incidents had become the order of the day and dealt a blow to Sindh’s secular soul, they regretted.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2025