ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered the production of all the 35 missing persons within seven days and directed the federal government to legislate in order to curb enforced disappearances.
A three-member-bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Ameer Hani Muslim issued its interim order in the missing persons case on Tuesday.
In its interim order, the apex court declared that intelligence agencies violate law of land if they forcibly disappear anyone. The court said that ISI, IB, MI cannot disappear anyone without any reason.
The apex court directed the federal government to take action against the persons involved in forced detentions of citizens, adding that the prime minister should make it sure that that no forced detention is made by any agency in the future.
The court also directed the prime minister‚ Governor and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for recovering missing persons within seven days.
Earlier in the hearing, the chief justice observed that non-implementation of court orders is unacceptable.
The chief justice said that despite clear directives of the court, the government produced only seven out of 35 missing persons, adding that justification in this regard are not acceptable.