Missing persons issue a distortion of facts
By Maqbool Malik
ISLAMABAD – Most of the missing persons from Balochistan were found from either present in Ferrari camps of Kohlu, Dera Bugti and other parts of the province or had slipped into Fata and Afghanistan where they are believed to be hiding or got killed. Well-placed security officials told The Nation on Thursday that contrary to the propaganda of certain human rights organisations and sub-nationalist Baloch leaders, the maximum number of missing persons from Balochistan during scrutiny was found affiliated with militant organisations.
But various human rights organisations and certain sub-nationalist Baloch leaders have been exploiting the situation for political motives by defaming the government and its agencies to prove themselves a suppressed/maltreated community of Pakistan. This is a mere propaganda against state agencies by those having vested interests, a senior security official requesting anonymity said while commenting on the issue of missing persons. The official said in 2008, it was being propagated by various human rights organisations that 2,390 persons were missing whereas only 200 missing persons were found after synergised efforts of the state agencies.
He said that out of this alleged number of missing persons, 332 persons were traced, mostly from jails, while their names were included in the list of missing persons. Quoting an example of Dr Abdul Rauf of Rawalpindi who was allegedly subjected to forced disappearance on December 11, 2010 from his clinic at Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, the security official said that through investigations it was later revealed that abduction of Abdul Rauf was a concocted story.
He pointed out that Dr Rauf (abductee) was found to be the abductor of one Azhar Mehmood who was resident of Golra Sharif, Islamabad, and this entire case of Dr Abdul Rauf was propagated by a human rights organisation for its vested interests.
The security Official said that those individuals who joined a particular cult or other religious organisations and did not return home were also included in the list of missing persons. Similarly, proclaimed offenders, victims of sabotage incidents, suicide bombers and unidentified persons who died in suicide attacks and even mentally retarded persons are included in the list of missing persons, he added.
Giving summary of the missing persons, which was provided to the commission, the security official said that a total of 392 persons had been reported missing throughout the country. From 1st May till 31 December 2010, 203 persons were reported missing while 189 persons were reported missing to the commission in a report provided on 30th April 2010. Out of these 392 cases, 134 persons have been traced while 96 persons were found as not the cases of enforced disappearance and 24 persons, who were mentioned as missing in the list, did not have the complete details of the case.
At the moment 138 persons are allegedly missing for which agencies are trying to trace them.
