KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ordered the filing of a case against the forced disappearance of citizens, and for a case to be registered at the relevant police station where the person went missing. The court also ordered the immediate recovery of other missing persons and for a case to be registered for a specific missing citizen, Mir Ali Haider.
Additionally, another missing person, Manzoor Ahmed, has returned home according to the petitioner’s lawyer. Ahmed was reportedly disappeared from the Steel Town area of Karachi.
Forced disappearances in Pakistan
Pakistan has received criticism for its failure to uphold human rights and the Geneva Convention, and has been placed alongside countries such as Iraq, Iran, Sri Lanka, India, and China for having a high number of disappearances.
Several probes and commissions have been formed to recover missing persons, with one inquiry commission formed in 2011 by the Pakistan Government having recovered 3000 cases out of 7000 reported cases in 2021.
Furthermore, The state’s failure to implement laws and regulations to protect human rights and the lack of accountability for those who commit such crimes have also been cited as reasons why forced disappearances occur in Pakistan.
It’s important to mention that while forced disappearances are a serious human rights violation, and the government has taken some steps to address this issue, it is still a widespread problem in Pakistan.
Activist Amina Masood Janjua estimates that more than 5000 cases of missing persons have been reported, with the recent case of young journalist Zeenat Shahzadi, who was abducted in 2015 and recovered in 2017, serving as an example.
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