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Published 08 Feb, 2012 11:36pm

Disappearance of Masood Janjua not ‘enforced’, SC told

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The commission of inquiry on enforced disappearances informed the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the case of Masood Janjua did not fall within the domain of “enforced disappearance”.A bench comprising Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Amir Hani Muslim had taken up a number of cases regarding missing persons.

On Oct 12, the court had referred the case of Masood Janjua, missing for a long time, to the commission headed by retired SC judge Javed Iqbal on the grounds that it had more time to deeply go into controversies. Amina, wife of Masood Janjua, insists that her husband is alive but detained in a safe house or special premises.

Amina Janjua, chairperson of the Defence of Human Rights, has been campaigning for the release of disappeared persons for several years.

In its report submitted before the court, the commission said: “In our considered view the case does not fall within the domain of enforced disappearance. Mrs Amina Masood Janjua may like to avail any other legal remedy that may be fit and proper.”

Mrs Janjua, however, sought an audience in chambers, saying she had “something important” to reveal to the court. The court said it would like to keep the proceedings open to public, but suggested to her to write a letter for consideration.

According to the report, the commission recorded on June 13 last year the statement of ex-director general (Int) of ISI Maj Gen Nusrat Naeem, who stated on oath that a Pakistani codenamed Tariq working with an American agent ‘Good Luck’ met Masood Janjua and another long missing person Faisal Faraz and introduced them to Al Qaeda leaders Sheikh Saad Al-Misseri and Mansoor Sohail.

Both these Al Qaeda leaders are the one who introduced suicide attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan and, therefore, were on the hit list. Tariq gave two laptops fixed with satellite detection chips and money to Janjua and Faraz for onward delivery to Sheikh Saad Al-Misseri, the report said.

However, Mansoor Sohail discovered the chips and suspected Janjua and Faraz of being spies and brought the matter to the notice of Sheikh Saad Al-Misseri. As a result, both were brutally murdered and buried in South Waziristan, the report claimed.

The report said that of the 445 cases of missing persons, 273 were still pending before the commission.

Mrs Janjua informed the court that six more persons had died during detention.

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