ISLAMABAD: As a last ray of hope for the recovery of their missing son – journalist Mudassar Naro – the parents and his teenaged son on Thursday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The meeting took place in the backdrop of the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s directives, which had ordered the government to arrange a meeting between the parents and son of the missing journalist with the prime minister.
During the meeting, the premier assured the government’s maximum support to the family for the early recovery of Naro. He said the federal government had legislated for stopping enforced disappearances in the country.
The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari and other senior officials of the Interior Ministry. Mazari said the PM listened to the complaints of Naro’s family and issued directives to the PM Office and the Interior Secretary to make all-out efforts for the recovery of the missing journalist.
She said Naro’s family seemed satisfied following the assurance by the PM as he also assured the parents of taking care of Naro’s son. Talking to journalists after meeting with the PM, Naro’s mother said he had no information about the whereabouts of her son.
She expressed the hope that the premier assured them of his all-out support in tracking down his son. Naro had gone missing after he went to the northern areas on a tour in August 2018 along with his wife Sadaf and 6-month-old son Sachal.
In a petition, it was stated that Naro had received a threatening phone call after 2018 general elections to stop launching criticism against the alleged rigging. Besides, he had been terminated from his job a few months prior to his disappearance, while his wife Sadaf also passed away in May this year due to heart attack after finding no clue about the whereabouts of her missing husband.
Earlier, the federal cabinet had decided to file an appeal against the IHC orders, terming a meeting of the family with the prime minister unconstitutional, but it had to change its decision few days before the hearing of the case, scheduled for December 13.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021