Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Tuesday strictly ordered authorities to produce 35 missing persons before the court by 1 pm today(Tuesday).
Hearing a case of missing persons in Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, the CJP expressed his displeasure over the non-appearance of Secretary Defence Lt Gen (R) Asif Yaseen Malik and noncompliance of orders issued to him by the Chief Justice yesterday.
On Monday, while hearing different cases of missing persons, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had directed the defence secretary to produce the missing persons before the court or appear in person.
However, Secretary Defence did not turn up today, which irked the court. Additional Secretary Defence appeared before the court and told the CJP that Lt Gen (R) Asif Yaseen Malik could not turn up owning to his illness.
The CJP said that the charge of the office should have been assigned to someone else if he was unwell. “Who is the Defence Minister now if there is no Defence Secretary? Isn’t it a joke?” the CJP asked.
The Additional Secretary said that Prime Minister of Pakistan has the charge of defency minister.
“There are couple of governments operating in the country and no one hears prime minister’s orders,” the CJP observed.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Malakan jail also submitted his statement in the court, stating that army personnel took along 35 persons from the prison.
The CJP observed that in the light of jail superintendent’s testimony the 35 persons are no more ‘missing’ but they are with the army.
