ISLAMABAD, April 12: The Supreme Court directed the Balochistan chief secretary on Tuesday to ensure recovery of three missing lawyers and seek instructions from the chief minister to address the concerns of petitioners over the issue of security in the province.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair and Justice Ghulam Rabbani is hearing a constitutional petition filed by the Balochistan High Court Bar Association president.

Balochistan's Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani said there were certain things which could not be discussed in an open court. He said that a commission was working on the issue of missing persons and a task force comprising officials of security and intelligence agencies had also been formed for the purpose.

“There have been certain incidents, but we cannot say that there is complete collapse,” he said, adding that tribal and religious organisations were also involved in kidnapping people.

The chief justice told the advocate general that the court had issued a comprehensive order at its last hearing, but it appeared that nothing had been done. “We will be compelled to observe that you are not protecting the lives of people.”

The chief justice observed that a number of people sitting outside the National Press Club were agitating for the recovery of missing persons, but nobody was taking responsibility. The only solution to problems was to establish the writ of the government, he added.

The additional advocate general said the chief secretary had requested for some time because he could not turn up for Tuesday's hearing.

Senior counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, who is assisting the court in the missing persons' issue, said that before issuing an order the chief secretary might be asked to seek instructions from the provincial chief executive under constitutional provisions.

He said the issue should be seen in its totality, cautioning that passing an order at this stage would lead to dissolution of the provincial government. BOGUS VOTERS:

The same bench issued notices to the attorney general and others for April 20 on a petition alleging the inclusion of fake and bogus voters in electoral rolls and another over the delay in composition of the Election Commission as envisaged under the 18th Amendment.

The petitions were filed by Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan and television anchor Mubashir Luqman.—APP