ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a written order on Sunday directing interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and secretaries of relevant ministries to physically attend in the missing Baloch students case at the next hearing tomorrow (Monday).
The IHC’s Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued a four-page written order directing the prime minister of Pakistan, the defense, human rights, and interior ministries, as well as the secretaries of the respective ministries, to attend in person at the February 19 hearing at 10 a.m.
During the previous hearing on February 13, the court ordered the interim premier to come before the bench.
At the beginning of the prior hearing, the assistant attorney general (AAG) requested the court to adjourn the hearing as the attorney general was unavailable. However, the request was rejected.
Justice Kayani went on to say that those responsible for enforced disappearances should face the death penalty.
“People involved [in enforced disappearance] should be given the death penalty twice,” Justice Kayani stated. He then requested that the caretaker PM appear in person and explain why a lawsuit should not be filed against him.
However, the advocate general argued with the court for extra time in the matter. But Justice Kayani refused to hear the government’s request.
This is the second time IHC has summoned PM Kakar. He was last asked to appear in person before the court on November 29, 2023, in the lawsuit brought by Advocate Imaan Mazari.
However, he did not appear because he was not in the country.
