Top Pakistan court summons caretaker PM Kakar in missing Baloch students case

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Islamabad High Court has summoned Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, to appear personally on November 29 in a case concerning 55 missing students from Balochistan. The court has asked the government if it should refer the matter to the UN. The directive comes in response to the Baloch Enforced Disappearance Commission's recommendations.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani passed the order while hearing a case regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, news wire PTI reported. The commission was established in 2011 to trace missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organisations responsible for it.

At the previous hearing, held on October 10, the IHC instructed the state to fulfil its responsibility in recovering the missing Baloch students, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

At today's hearing, the additional attorney general requested Justice Kayani to not summon the ministers or the prime minister. Expressing his disapproval, the judge said: "There is nothing wrong in this [summoning the Prime Minister and other ministers. Everyone is trying to make a joke out of this [the case]".

He remarked, "What more injustice can there be towards the people of this country when they are being disappeared?"

"Should we refer this matter to the United Nations and cause an insult to our country?" the judge asked, expressing concern about the increasing number of missing people.

Interim Prime Minister Kakar had last month admitted that according to a UN sub-committee's estimates, around 50 people had been forcibly disappeared in Balochistan.

"Sometimes, we receive complaints in which they give us 5,000 names claiming they are missing. [They are] not ready to accept any UN best practices on collection of data of missing persons," Kakar had said, adding the issue was used as a "propaganda tool" against Pakistan.

Assistant Attorney General Usman Ghumman presented a ministerial report on the Baloch missing persons. The court however returned the report expressing displeasure.

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"The prime minister and interior minister are from Balochistan," said Justice Kayani. "They should be empathetic to this matter, considering it involves Baloch students."

Justice Kayani mentioned that the case had previously been heard by former IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, noting that a commission was formed per the court's orders, and the matter of enforced disappearances was referred to the federal government.

"The prime minister should have understood, and we expected he would say these are our children," remarked Justice Kayani.

The judge noted that the former prime minister was also summoned, along with several other high-profile individuals connected to the case. Expressing frustration, he lamented the lack of progress despite efforts. (With inputs from PTI)