Pakistan: The agony of waiting for the disappeared

It’s been 10 years since 9/11 changed the world, and Pakistan is one country that has hit the headlines ever since that day. But one story buried beneath the news grabs is of the many victims of enforced disappearance post-9/11. Hundreds, possibly thousands of Pakistanis have been abducted, typically without being charged, never to be seen again.The few lucky ones who happen to be returned, often without being charged, speak of horrendous abuse and torture in secret detention without access to lawyers and the courts or contact with their families. Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has officially admitted to 965 disappearances but human rights groups say that number could be as high as 7000. “This is the worst thing to happen to anyone. If someone dies you cry and people console you and after some time you come to terms with it but if someone disappears, you cannot breathe, it is the bitterest of agonies.” Amina Masood Janjua, whose husband Masood Janjua went missing in 2005 told Amnesty International. Amina Janjua holding placard of her husband Masood Janjua during a demonstration for the release of the enforced disappeared persons ©Defence of Human Rights. Put pressure on the Pakistan government In March 2010, the Pakistan government established the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances to trace missing people, giving families hope that they would get some answers. While the Commission has managed to trace the whereabouts of 224 people, families and human rights groups are severely critical of the way it functions. It is slow, very short-staffed and has had little success investigating cases of those who disappeared when Gen. Pervez Musharraf ruled the country. More importantly, it has failed to seriously investigate Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies which most families accuse of disappearing their loved ones. The Prime Minister of Pakistan can come to the help of these families by ensuring that this Commission of Inquiry has the power and resources needed to investigate all cases of alleged disappearance. Stand with the families of disappeared Pakistanis. We will deliver your signatures to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.