A bench of three judges, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and including Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, heard a series of petitions, including one from Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, regarding the “unlawful practice” of enforced disappearances.
During the hearing, the apex court instructed the commission, established in 2011 to trace missing persons and hold individuals accountable, to prepare a ‘comprehensive report’ on all missing persons cases and provide production orders to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) within 10 days.
Aitzaz Ahsan, in his petition, prayed for the court to declare that enforced disappearances violate Articles 4, 9, 10, 14, 19, and 25 of the Constitution, as well as to declare that the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances does not comply adequately with legal and international standards.
He also asked the apex court to establish an effective and purposeful commission, with a Supreme Court judge as its head and members from bar councils and other institutions.
Today’s hearing
During the hearing, Aitzaz Ahsan’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen referred to previous judgments on the matter and mentioned the Faizabad sit-in case. The CJP questioned the relevance of the Faizabad sit-in case to enforced disappearances.
The hearing also included references to the abduction of journalist Matiullah Jan and the CJP’s directive to present a report on the matter. After listening to all parties, the CJP outlined the order of the day and adjourned the hearing until January 9.