ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday produced 14 missing persons in the Supreme Court, television reports said.
They were produced before Justice Amir Hani Muslim, a member of the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry which had taken up a case relating to a missing man named Yasin Shah.
The missing persons were brought to the premises of the apex court in two vehicles with their faces covered. Attorney General Muneer A. Malik was also present in the court’s premises.
An in-camera hearing is currently underway inside the chambers of Justice Amir Hani, who has also summoned Ataullah, the superintendent of the internment centre in Malakand, with all records pertaining to the detentions.
Earlier on Friday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif did not disclose the names of the 14 but said that seven of them were living a free life and could be produced whenever the court so desired. Two are internees and information about five others are unsubstantiated but may be confirmed in a day or two, the minister had told the bench during yesterday’s hearing.
The bench, unsatisfied with the defence minister's explanation, had then ordered the production of the 14 before Justice Amir Hani Muslim at 10.30am on Saturday. Attorney General Malik was also ordered as required to ascertain the status of the persons.
The apex court had also obligated the authorities to ensure the presence of one or two relatives of these persons who could identify them and, if needed, Justice Muslim and the attorney general may ask questions to ascertain facts and their status.
The court had also ordered that relatives of two of the internees — Sardar Ali and Nadir Khan who had died on Dec 29 last year and July 1 this year, respectively, in the Lakki Marwat internment centre inside the Malakand garrison — be produced before Justice Muslim to confirm if they had agreed to receive the bodies without autopsy.