IHC forms larger bench over missing persons cases

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has constituted a larger bench to hear cases of missing persons, ARY News reported.

After wrapping up the plea seeking recovery of missing poet Ahmed Farhad, on June 7 IHC judge Mohsin Akhtar Kiani stated his intention to write to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to constitute a larger bench for cases involving missing persons, ensuring that multiple judges can review the positions taken.

As per details, the bench will be headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and will include Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir.

The larger bench will start hearing cases of missing persons from July 30. Notably, the Chief Justice will not be a part of the bench hearing the missing persons cases.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry was told that 98 cases were still pending in Peshawar High Court (PHC).

Deputy Attorney General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah, submitted a report on missing persons cases to the Defence Ministry.

According to the report, 226 cases were disposed of from February 1 to May 24.

This is a 5-month report on missing persons cases, and the Deputy Attorney General is working to ensure that these are decided quickly.

READ: Missing Person Commission disposes of 3793 cases: report

It is pertinent to mention here that the Missing Person Commission disposed of 3,793 cases out of 6,051 cases in 2019.

The Commission report stated, a total number of 5,915 reports were received by the Missing Person Commission of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) up to end of March that year.

During one month 136 more cases were received by the Missing Person Commission and the total numbers of cases reached to 6051.