The government has introduced a Rs 5 Million Support Program per family of missing persons, providing legal and financial assistance, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
Balochistan has witnessed multiple protests and unrest over missing persons. In December, Baloch demonstrators marched to Islamabad but faced force and arrests, leading them to call off their sit-in outside the National Press Club a month later. Recently, sporadic violence in Gwadar has claimed three lives and injured 24 as the Baloch Yakjehti Committee’s sit-in nears its end.
Earlier this week, the government notified a three-member committee of top intelligence officials to assist in the recovery of missing persons, following a February order from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, revealed that a report from previous cabinet committees was presented to the current cabinet committee for missing persons. The report’s salient recommendations were approved by the federal cabinet.
Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that a special committee would determine which families need immediate support, providing Rs5 million to each eligible family. More than 2,000 cases have been identified, with 1,000 prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis within a five-year limit.
The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee to establish the disbursement process for the support package. Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized that this package is not compensation but a means of support for affected families until the matter is resolved.
Azam Nazeer Tarar highlighted positive cooperation from intelligence agencies, aiming to resolve the issue within a legal framework. He acknowledged the various reasons behind disappearances and the involvement of state agencies.
The report included recommendations for a legal framework, a future strategy to prevent such cases, and instructions to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to address issues related to missing persons’ bank accounts and inheritance.
Azam Nazeer Tarar recalled that discussions on the reasons behind disappearances and state agency involvement have been ongoing for years. A Supreme Court-formed commission has been functional for over a decade, and recent committees have sought input from intelligence agencies and other state institutions.
According to a report by the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIOED), 197 missing people’s cases were submitted in the first half of 2024, with 226 cases disposed of. Since its inception, COIOED has received 10,285 cases, disposing of 8,015, including those returned home, in internment centers, held in prisons, found dead, or otherwise resolved.
