Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered Prime Minister Imran Khan and the federal cabinet to meet the families of missing persons and make them believe that the state has no hand behind these kidnappings.

Justice Athar Minallah made the remarks during the hearing of the petition filed for the recovery of missing journalist Mudassar Naru. The journalist has been missing since August 20, 2018.

Lawyers Imaan Mazari and Usman Warraich representing the family and a representative of the Ministry of Defense appeared before the court.

“The federal government has the responsibility to ensure the safety of all citizens,” Justice Minallah remarked, adding that it was also the first and foremost responsibility of the state to ensure the recovery of missing persons.

The court maintained that if the issue of enforced disappearances was not prevalent in the country, there would have not been a need for the government to speak with the aggrieved families.

“[Naru’s] family members were not content and the premier, as well as the federal cabinet, must listen to their grievances,” ordered the IHC CJ.

Justice Minallah stated that if the Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah failed to give him a date of when PM Imran will speak to Naru’s family by Monday, the interior secretary will have to appear in the next hearing.

“Naru has a mother, a wife and a child. Had the state been with them, they would not have been running pillar to post,” remarked the top judge. “According to the commission report, the missing family believes that the state and its agencies are involved in this,” he added.

The court adjourned the proceedings till Monday, November 29.