Govt announces Rs.5M package for families of missing persons

In a significant move aimed at providing relief to families of missing persons, the federal government has unveiled a support package worth Rs5 million for each affected family. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar made the announcement on Friday, detailing the decisions made in a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier in the day.

During the briefing, Minister Tarar explained that the federal cabinet had reviewed and approved the support package based on recommendations from previous committees addressing the issue of missing persons. This initiative is designed to offer both legal and financial assistance to the families of those who remain unaccounted for.

“The package is not a form of remuneration but rather a gesture of solidarity with the families of missing persons. It aims to help alleviate their suffering and address their immediate needs,” Tarar said. He emphasized that the new committee, formed as part of the cabinet’s decision, will specifically review and address the genuine cases of families requiring support.

The law minister also noted that two reports on the issue of missing persons were presented to the cabinet, which led to the approval of the new support package. The newly constituted committee will further examine the final report of previous committees to ensure that genuine cases receive appropriate assistance.

Addressing concerns over the complexity of missing persons cases, Tarar highlighted the government’s efforts to resolve the issue through the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED). “We are committed to utilizing all available resources to resolve these cases,” he stated, noting that approximately 8,000 out of 10,200 reported cases have been addressed by COIED.

Minister Tarar referenced a report from January, which identified Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as having the highest number of missing persons cases, totaling 3,485. The report attributed these disappearances to drone attacks and increased militancy in the region. In Balochistan, 2,752 cases were reported, with reasons including fleeing abroad and other regional issues.

The government’s announcement comes on the heels of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) ending its sit-in protests in Gwadar. The protests, which had disrupted traffic and caused significant inconvenience, concluded following successful negotiations between Dr. Mahrang Baloch of the BYC and the Gwadar district’s deputy commissioner.