Pakistan interim PM Kakar again skips IHC hearing on Baloch missing students case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday again failed to appear before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case of missing Baloch students, as reported by Dawn.

Emphasising that the state's premier is failing in his duties, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani resumed hearing a petition regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

"The purpose of summoning the prime minister was to inquire why the state's premier is failing in his duties," he stated.

"We have charges against our institutions regarding enforced disappearances. If the prime minister, defence minister and secretary, and the interior minister and secretary cannot perform their duties then they should leave their posts."

The commission was established in 2011 to trace missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible for it, according to Dawn.

Earlier on November 29 last year, the IHC summoned PM Kakar but he did not appear before the court. The court further warned that a case could be registered against the interim premier and others if they failed to reunite the missing Baloch students with their families.

During that hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that out of 50 missing persons, 22 had been recovered, while the whereabouts of 28 others were still unknown.

Later on January 10, Justice Kayani remarked that a day would come when intelligence officials would also be held accountable and face prosecution for cases.

In a subsequent hearing, he summoned PM Kakar for a second time, highlighting, "The punishment of enforced disappearances should be the death penalty."

However, during today's hearing, the IHC summoned Kakar for a third time, adjourning the hearing till February 28.

PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat also appeared before the court, detailing an alleged raid on his house by the Islamabad police. At the outset of the hearing, AGP Awan appeared before the IHC and was asked about PM Kakar's whereabouts, to which, he replied that the premier was in Karachi.

Moreover, when asked about the defence and interior ministers, Awan said that the two were also busy, Dawn reported.

"The petition was filed in 2022 and a commission had been formed. It took us two years to recover our citizens who did not even have any criminal case registered against them. There was no case against them -- including any drug, murder, or theft case -- let alone a terror case," Justice Kayani stated.

He further observed that "no documents or information" was shared with the court in the past two years.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) Defence of Human Rights (DHR) issued a report in December last year, stating that Pakistan reported 51 more cases of enforced disappearances in 2023, Dawn reported.

"The total number of cases stands at 3,120, with 51 cases registered in 2023 alone. Notably, 595 individuals have been released and reunited with their families, 246 people have been traced, and 88 cases have sadly resulted in extrajudicial killings," DHR said.