Senate body's ruling: IG, home department responsible to trace missing persons

The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights and Law on Thursday adopted a comprehensive ruling making it a duty of provincial inspector general, the police, as well as the provincial home department to trace missing persons from any area of the country.
It has also been made obligatory for them to file a report on missing persons to the interior ministry. Chairman, Senator S.M. Zafar asked ministry of defence and the secretary, cabinet division for a list of appropriate laws under which various agencies of government operate. The committee would study these laws.
The committee also decided to ask the law ministry for a comprehensive report on laws valid in situations where a number of agencies dealt with crimes of sundry nature, and welcomed the release of missing persons through the Supreme Court. Senator S.M. Zafar hoped that the prevailing situation and the state of affairs in the country would improve.
It was clear on this issue that when a person is reported missing from a specific area or province, it should become legal responsibility of provincial police, home department as well as IG to help in the recovery of that person. The two officials and the provincial home department must file reports about missing persons since the job necessitated co-operation and close liaison with the central interior division.
Senator Zafar also sought comprehensive report on 'missing persons' as well as the total number of person released/recovered through and during the proceedings in the Supreme Court. In this regard, he appreciated the efforts of officers of the national management cell in tracing the persons and also helping relatives of missing persons released by the court.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani as well as Senators Muhammd Abbas Komaili, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Dr Muhammad Said and Professor Khurshid Ahmad attended the meeting.