The Supreme Court on Saturday asked senior-most officers of relevant ministries to submit an undertaking that no one will be picked up other than in accordance with the law.
The top court further ruled that former and current leaders of a political party who were picked up but have since returned cannot be categorised as “missing persons”.
This was stated in a five-page order authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa while hearing a case on missing persons filed by veteran lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan.
Regarding missing persons, the top court has directed the federal government to submit an undertaking in writing, signed by senior-most officers of the relevant ministries, that no one shall be picked up other than in accordance with the law.
To take meaningful action to recover actual missing persons, the top court directed the Missing Persons Commission to submit a list of all those who have been reported as missing.
The commission was further directed to submit the name and relationship of the person who reported a person as missing and the date they went missing.
The top court has also directed the commission to submit details of those who were in government at the centre and the concerned province when a person went missing.
The commission has been directed to submit details about whether missing persons have been recovered or not, and if they have not been recovered, what efforts, if any, have been taken to determine their whereabouts.
In addition, the court has sought details from the commission about all those for whom production orders were issued but were not produced, and any follow-ups undertaken by the commission.
“The above information be provided electronically and through hard copy to the office of the learned Attorney-General within ten days, who upon receipt thereof will submit a response, including why production orders issued by the Commission were not complied with, within 20 days after the Commission supplies the said information. The learned Attorney-General to submit a report (hard copy and electronically) to this Court,” the top court ruled.
The Supreme Court said it would be appropriate if details about the commission’s budget, staff and resources were disclosed, noting that people have a fundamental right, under Article 19A of the Constitution, to information.