Pak Supreme Court says issue of missing persons bigger challenge than NRO

Islamabad, Jan. 6 (ANI): The Supreme Court of Pakistan has said that the issue of the mysterious disappearance of hundreds of persons in Balochistan is posing greater challenges to the country's democracy than the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

"The government should be aware of the consequences of missing person cases which is bigger than the NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) for it affects every citizen of the country," The Dawn quoted Justice Mohammad Sair Ali, as saying.

Justice Sair, a member of the three-judge bench hearing the cases of missing persons, added: "Even if my son had been picked, I would also be standing outside the court demanding early release of the child."

Justice Javed Iqbal, who is heading the bench, said: "The basic problem of Balochistan could not be solved unless the issue of missing people was settled."

The court asked Attorney General Anwar Mansoor to contact ministers and secretaries of defence and interior and heads of intelligence agencies to locate missing persons.

The attorney general sought eight to 10 weeks' time from the court, saying that about 810 institutions were involved in the issue and he would have to meet them individually because all of them were reluctant to share information at joint meetings.

When Advocate Hashmat Habib requested the court to summon heads of the Military Intelligence and the Inter-Services Intelligence, Justice Iqbal said that last time when "we tried to summon them we were sent home for almost 16 months". (ANI)