Islamabad: The Pakistan Bar Council has
condemned the alleged abduction and illegal detention of
citizens by intelligence agencies days after the Supreme Court
forced two military spy agencies to produce seven men who were
reportedly arrested without due process.
In a resolution that was unanimously passed by its
members, the PBC criticised spy agencies for allegedly
abducting citizens and keeping them in illegal custody against
the due process of law.
The resolution was passed at a meeting of the apex body
of lawyers held yesterday under the chairmanship of Attorney
General Anwar-ul-Haq.
The resolution was proposed by Hamid Khan and seconded by
Syed Ayaz Zahoor and Abdul Lateef Afridi.
"This house condemns the abduction of citizens by the
government and its intelligence agencies and for keeping such
persons missing and untraced against the due process of law,"
the resolution said.
Referring to the alleged abduction of 11 men by the spy
agencies after they were freed by court in 2010, the PBC
expressed concern over their miserable condition.
"The House also condemns callous torture committed on the
missing persons who have been admittedly in the custody of
intelligence agencies," the resolution said.
Four of these 11 men died while in custody and the
remaining seven were produced in the Supreme Court last week
after a bench headed by the Chief Justice took up their case.
The seven men were unable to walk without help and some
of them were carrying urine bags. Their relatives alleged they
had been tortured but an unnamed security official told the
state-run APP news agency yesterday that all 11 men were
linked to several high-profile terror attacks.
The PBC, in its resolution, hoped the judiciary would
strictly deal with persons responsible for torturing detainees
and award exemplary punishment to them.
The PBC also condemned the target killing of Baloch
people by state agencies.
"This house also condemns mysterious deaths and murders
of the abducted persons who are found dead in various parts of
Balochistan and demands that those responsible for such
murders be severely dealt with," the resolution said.
The council decided that its Free Legal Aid Committee
would provide free help to relatives of "missing persons".
PTI
