HYDERABAD: Activists of human rights organisations staged demonstrations, walks and rallies in a number of Sindh towns on Thursday to highlight the issue of missing persons as they observed the Interna­tional Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Scores of rights activists gathered outside the press club in Hyderabad and held protest under the aegis of special task force of Human Rights Commission of Pak­istan (HRCP).

The protesters led by HRCP task force head Ghuf­rana Arain, council members Badar Soomro, Parveen Soo­mro, social activists Zul­fi­qar Halepoto, Ali Palh adv­o­cate, Imdad Chandio and others demanded that federal and provincial governments should play their role in ensuring recovery of missing persons, which tota­led 3,500 including 249 of Sindh.

They argued that if the missing persons were guilty of any crime, they should be produced in court as it was their fundamental right. Their prolonged disappearance was causing unrest among their families but unfortunately the state did not appear to be doing anything to lessen their suffering, they regretted.

They said the families had filed many petitions in courts but in vain and said that most missing persons were associated with nationalist parties while some workers of political parties had also disappeared over the years.

Later, a dialogue was organised on the subject in which families of missing persons also took part.

SANGHAR: HR activists, members of civil society and nationalist parties observed token hunger strike in Shah­dad­pur in protest against enforced disappearances in Sindh.

The protesters led by advocate Ghulam Murtaza Soomaro, Wazir Kalohro and others demanded the government should recover all missing persons, including nationalist, political and HR activists, writers and others who had ‘disappeared’.

The protest was organised to coincide with the international day of victims of enforced disappearance.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2018