• Law minister sees fourfold drop in cases of enforced disappearances
• Says recent reforms must to ‘end judicial overreach’
• Claims military courts hand down ‘lenient sentences’, compared to civil courts
• Legal experts warn against 28th Amendment; question govt’s legitimacy
LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday announced that the government is forming a new high-level committee to investigate the issue of ‘missing persons’ with greater scrutiny, reaffirming the government’s commitment to reaching a target of zero missing person.
Addressing the 6th Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, Mr Tarar admitted that while the reported number of enforced disappearances dropped significantly in recent years from nearly 10,000 to around 2,600, even the current figure was “unacceptable” from a human rights standpoint.
He detailed an interim relief package designed to support the families of missing persons. This policy mechanism, developed over 18 months, provides not only financial assistance but also legal avenues to address practical complications such as inheritance disputes and the operation of bank accounts held in the names of the missing.
However, the minister highlighted the complexities involved in tracking these individuals, noting that investigation revealed some persons listed as missing had voluntarily joined banned militant organisations and found dead after police encounters with terrorists.
26th, 27th Amendments
Referring to the recent legislation, Mr Tarar used the platform to forcefully defend the 26th and 27th Amendments, labelling them the ‘need of the time’ to correct historical judicial overreach.
He argued that the changes were designed to curb judicial overreach, noting that for years, the Supreme Court had frequently overstepped its constitutional boundaries, at times rewriting the law and ousting democratically elected prime ministers.
Mr Tarar acknowledged facing significant public and professional criticism over the amendments, but insisted the establishment of federal constitutional benches was a longstanding democratic demand and the goal was central to the Charter of Democracy.
The minister expressed concern over the historical trend where a few judges from a single province could dictate the political fate of the country. He explained that the newly restructured Judicial Commission of Pakistan now includes representatives from civil society and minorities, ensuring a broader perspective in the appointment and transfer of judges.
