LAHORE, April 28 The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has rejected the claim of former president Pervez Musharraf that most of the 'disappeared' persons had gone missing on their own. HRCP chairperson Asma Jehangir in a statement has described Musharraf's claim as absolutely untenable.

Musharraf in his recent interview with Al Jazeera TV had denied the role of the state agencies in enforced disappearances and claimed that the missing persons had disappeared voluntarily to join Jehad.

Commenting on his statement, Asma Jehangir said loss of power caused dementia and other disorders was amply demonstrated by Musharraf's interview and denial of state agencies well documented role in illegal practice of enforced disappearances.

While some individuals might have gone away on their own, the statement that all victims of enforced disappearances had gone missing voluntarily to join Jehad without informing their families was absolutely untenable.

It was ironic that the former president should deny the role of state agencies during his rule, which was acknowledged by the Senate functional committee on human rights in February 2007 when it urged the government to present all missing persons before courts and give them an opportunity to defend themselves.

The government must depart from previous regime's ways by coming clean on the illegal practice and set the record straight and facilitate the recovery and release of all the missing Pakistanis whatever they may be, the HRCP chairperson said.