November 21, 2024
By Rehan Piracha
LAHORE
The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court has taken up its first suo motu notice of the kidnapping of a boy in Quetta. It has already been a week since protestors have been holding a sit-in for the safe return of nine year old Musawwir Khan.
On November 21, the constitutional bench – while hearing a petition on the issue of missing children across the country – summoned the Inspector Generals of Police and Home Secretaries of all provinces for the next hearing to be held on November 28.
The bench expressed its displeasure over the abduction of a child, Musawwir Khan, who remains in captivity of his kidnappers for the last six days. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked that the entire city of Quetta had been paralysed due to protests, but the government seemed unconcerned. The judge added that even school children have taken out processions, yet the abducted child has not been recovered.
Justice Musarrat Hilali raised questions about the report submitted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), which claimed zero cases of sex trafficking.
“Has sex trafficking been legalised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?” she questioned. Justice Hilali expressed dissatisfaction with the KP government report, stating how there was a zero rate of sex trafficking when the issue was rampant everywhere.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar inquired if any province had an institution or commission that was working on the issue of missing children, particularly in light of the 18th Amendment, which granted more powers to the provinces.
Justice Hilali severely criticized the KP report, stating that it was full of misleading information. Referring to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s open border with Afghanistan, she said that such a misleading report was not possible.
Balochistan
Criticizing the performance of the Balochistan government, Justice Aminuddin Khan said that an entire province was protesting for the recovery of a single child, but the government was doing nothing for his safe return home.
The bench was also informed that a committee formed by the Supreme Court on child abductions had not taken any concrete actions since its establishment in 2018.
The petitioner claimed that the committee had never actually been constituted. In response, the Additional Advocate General (AAG) of Balochistan promised to submit a report on the matter.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar observed that the court did not need mere reports but required concrete actions to address child abductions. He called for a broader inquiry into the situation, questioning why the authorities were not taking more substantial measures to curb child abductions.
The court directed all provinces to submit detailed reports on child abductions and recovery of kidnapped victims. The bench also scrutinized the role of law enforcement agencies, with Justice Mandokhail questioned the role of the Frontier Corps (FC) in social welfare efforts despite the large expenditures allocated to them.
Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi mentioned children begging at traffic signals in Karachi, while Justice Aminuddin Khan said that sending beggars abroad was a matter of shame. The Supreme Court adjourned the further hearing of the case to November 28.
Schoolchildren hold Quran recital
Meanwhile, a group of schoolchildren participated in the sit-in at the Assembly Chowk in Quetta to demand the safe return of their friend Musawwir Khan, who was abducted as he was on the way to school on November 14.
The school students offered prayers and recited the Holy Quran. The protest is centered around the Assembly Chowk, a prominent public space in Quetta.
Citizens, politicians, and business leaders are outraged over Musawwir’s abduction, sparking widespread protests. Demonstrators vow to intensify rallies until Musawwir’s safe return. Political parties, supported by traders, plan to block major highways linking Balochistan to the rest of Pakistan.
A province-wide wheel jam strike is set for November 25 to pressure the provincial government for Musawwir’s unharmed recovery.