ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: A one-man commission --- comprising Justice Shahzado Shaikh of the Federal Shariat Court and formed to conduct an inquiry into the Lal Masjid operation --- commenced its proceedings on Wednesday.

Sources in the commission told Dawn that four relatives of the victims of the July 2007 military operation got their names registered with the commission to record their testimony.

The commission has announced that witnesses would be registered from Dec 19 to 26.

Sources said the commission would scrutinise witnesses’ list after Dec 26 and then summon witnesses to record their testimony. According to the sources, at a later stage the commission will summon government officials and law-enforcement personnel to record their statements and collect evidence.

Hearing complaints filed by the heirs of 103 people missing since the operation, the Supreme Court on Dec 4 had constituted the commission and set a 45-day deadline to complete the inquiry.

The commission is being assisted by district and sessions judge Syed Muzaffer Ali Shah and additional sessions judge Kamran Basharat Mufti who have been appointed as secretary and additional secretary of the commission.