Balochistan CM, federal cabinet body discuss issue of missing persons

QUETTA: The Federal Cabinet Committee on Missing Persons called on Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo on its arrival in Quetta here on Thursday.

They discussed the issue of missing persons in Balochistan and law and order situation in detail during the meeting.

The cabinet committee included Federal Minister for Law Nazir Tarar, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and other federal ministers besides Shazia Marri, Agha Hassan Baloch and Senator Kamran Murtaza.

On this occasion, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said that the incumbent provincial government sincerely wanted to address issue of missing persons, for which the families of the missing persons on the sit-in have been repeatedly contacted by the provincial regime with the aim to recover their people.

During this time, on the basis of humanitarian sympathy attitude was maintained with the relatives sitting on the sit-in and on their demand, a Judicial Commission for Missing Persons was formed, but no one appeared before the Judicial Commission.

The Chief Minister assured all possible cooperation with the cabinet committee on behalf of the provincial government.

On this occasion, the federal law minister said that the federal government was striving to solve the problem of missing persons with goodwill and political in order to create an atmosphere of trust between the relatives and the government.

The cabinet committee also held discussions with the provincial ministers and provincial officials, in which, apart from the provincial ministers, Balochistan National Party (BNP)’s Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shakila Naveed Dehwar was also involved.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Uqaili, Additional Chief Secretary Home Zahid Saleem, IG Police Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, Commissioner Quetta and Deputy Commissioner also participated in the meeting.

In the meeting, a detailed review of all aspects of the problem of missing persons was taken. In this regard, the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary Home and IG Police Balochistan gave a briefing to the Cabinet Committee on the background of the problem of missing persons and other related issues. Government efforts and measures regarding the solution and end of the sit-in were informed to the cabinet Committee.

Apart from this, the Cabinet Committee was also briefed in detail about the overall law and order situation in Balochistan.

Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Uqaili said that in view of the sensitivity of the issue, the CM has instructed to have a soft and compassionate attitude towards the sit-in participants, while the provincial ministers and officials have met the sit-in participants several times at the government level with an aim to end their protests.

He said that on the demand of the participants of the sit-in, a judicial commission was formulated and with the approval of the provincial cabinet, a high-powered provincial parliamentary committee was formed on the issue of missing persons.

The Chief Secretary said that a large number of missing persons have been returned due to the government’s efforts.

It should be noted that Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has set up a high authority of the federal cabinet to solve the problem of missing persons on a permanent basis, in which the parliamentary representatives of seven parties and federal ministers were included.

Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that today was the sixth meeting of the Cabinet Committee and it would submit its recommendations to the Prime Minister to address the problem in positive manner.

According to the Interior Minister, we have come to heal the wounds of the relatives of the missing persons.

Later, Chief Minister Balochistan along with Cabinet Committee’s members met with the relatives of missing persons who sit-in at red zone area of Quetta for demanding to the government to take measures to recover their people.