0
ISLAMABAD: Family members of the 10 missing persons continued their hunger strike on Thursday here resolving to continue it till the release of their loved ones.
Mother of Meraj Mohammad, who went missing from Lower Dir on September 16, 2009 said: "I have been expecting for over two years that my son will come back but now I have decided to go on hunger strike, hoping against hope, that higher authorities may release him out of pity."Another desperate-looking mother of three sons, Majid, Sajid and Abid said: "Majid and Sajid went missing from Bahawalpur while Abid, who was a police official and was appointed in Karachi, went missing from the city of his duty. Abid could not be traced while police department, instead of searching him, had strangely been sending me letters since then, warning that in case Abid did not resume his duty, he would be dismissed from service."
Another woman, daughter of Noor Mohammad said: "My father was released on the orders of court but agencies picked him from outside the Adiala Jail and he could not be traced since then."
Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan another hunger striker said: "My son Zubair Ahmed was in Raiwind Lahore when on May 25, 2010 he went missing."
Similarly Inamullah told Dawn that his uncle, Maulana Amir Abbas was picked by the agencies on September 14, 2010 and could not still be recovered.
Amjad Hussain Baloch articulated his miseries saying two of his cousins Abdul Kareem Mehmood and Ihsan Arjumandi went missing in 2004 and 2011 respectively but no one has informed the family of their whereabouts.
The family members regretted they were losing hope as even Justice Javed Iqbal visited their camp but did not give them any assurance of the release of their loved ones. So they were left with no option except going on a hunger strike hoping that the move might evoke public sympathy.
Coordinator Defense of Human Rights (DHR), Khawaja Asif told Dawn that some missing persons had already been released in different cities but none of them was registered with the DHR.
