Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced a Rs5 million package for each family of missing persons, aiming to provide legal and financial assistance. This decision was made following a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
Addressing the media, Tarar explained that the cabinet reviewed reports on the issue of missing persons and approved the support package based on recommendations from previous committees. Two reports on missing persons were presented, and a special committee was formed to examine genuine cases needing support.
Tarar emphasized that the aid is not remuneration but an effort to share the grief of the affected families and address their problems. He noted that the issue of missing persons is complex, with the government having taken strict measures to resolve most cases through the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED).
The minister highlighted that, as of last month, 77% of missing persons’ cases had been resolved, with 8,000 out of 10,200 registered cases addressed by COIED. The Supreme Court’s inquiry commission, formed in 2011, had sorted out 7,900 cases, leaving 23% pending.
The commission’s January report indicated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported the highest number of missing persons at 3,485, with drone attack casualties and rising militancy cited as key reasons. In Balochistan, 2,752 cases were linked to enforced disappearances, with reasons including individuals fleeing abroad without informing their families due to the province’s unstable situation.
The government’s announcement coincided with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) activists calling off their sit-ins in Gwadar and across Balochistan after successful negotiations with local administration. An agreement was signed by Dr. Mahrang Baloch, representing the protesters, and Gwadar district’s deputy commissioner, leading to the end of the protests demanding the recovery of missing persons.
