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Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Jaffan Muslim holds a picture of her daughter Arum, 13, who went missing last August, Muslim and others have set up a camp near the parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan, to demand answers. Picture taken Feb. 23, 2012.
The Associated Press reports from Islamabad — Abdul Hameed last saw his son a year ago, being dragged away from their home by Pakistani intelligence operatives along with an Indonesian al-Qaida suspect who had been staying there. The ailing 59-year-old father now has a simple wish.
"I just want to see the face of my son before I die," said Hameed, who has been bedridden for much of the last year with multiple illnesses. "Just that. I have no enmity with anybody, any agency or any government. If you were in my position, what would you do?"
Kashif, who is a student, is among the ranks of Pakistan's "missing" — people seized by security forces for months or years, never to be brought to trial, their families never informed of their fate. Many of the men are presumed to be suspected Islamist militants, swept up in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, crackdown supported by the United States. Some are alleged to have been killed or tortured in custody.
Pakistan's Supreme Court has now given the families a measure of hope by bringing a landmark case against the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the country's most feared spy network, which is suspected to be behind most of the seizures. The agency, which works closely with the CIA, operates largely outside of the law. Read the full story.
Muhammed Muheisen / AP
A photograph of Gulzar Jaan Ghullzir Jan, 35, who went missing in 2010, is left on a chair inside a tent near the parliament in Islamabad on Feb. 24, 2012.
Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Zuhra Pirzada holds a picture of her husband Fadel, who went missing in 2004, near the parliament in Islamabad on Feb. 23, 2012.
Rahat Dar / EPA
Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.
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The message seems clear. Avoid religious militancy at all cost. The non-believers will be your enemy. Religious co-existence is a better solution than attempted dominion.
Pakistan seems to be getting the message. Still, the Pakistani security should set transparent rules. People will adjust, and avoid unacceptable behaviors. But the rules for enforcement need to be open and clear. No more religious militancy.
No laws cover for a longtime Pakistan's intelligence and military. This is the track record since 47.
Supreme Court ruling is just a breather before it is back to business as usual.
Rest are dramas like their Ramadan style soap operas!
If these families ask too many questions, they will also vanish.
When "democratic" rulers are thrown out to garbage dumps now and then, who are these people?
His last wish is to see his son,aint going to happen.
I wish we will have some control ovefr our disappearings. In all countries abuses are unbelievably high.
It is generally beleived we are more englightened. But that does no help end result. Under best situation Paksitan has limited poiicing resources. Tens of thousands of people that GOvernemnt may want there but have no resources to conduct search and process it.
For richer country like ours resources are not a problem. We have sophisticated technology that in Pakistan all but few at highest level and army might have access to and that also mat be 20 years behind our level.
The reason we have mor ethan two million in prison is this technologicall ability and unlimited resoruces that Authorities have. Ultimate determitatn of freedom will depend on these two factors that make Govenments and some huge coriprations and very rich individual. Theese behomoth are more dangers to human liberties that some old kind of abuses that happens in the third world countries.
It is the people who make or mar a place.
If you put Pakis even in the best places, they will make Pakistan out of the best places in no time.
Before Pakis came, travel was a breeze in the US. Now air travel is one of the toughest!
There is no use in finding/inventing/giving excuses for what the Pakis do.
Extremes of Islamic religion has destroyed the mindset and people and the place they are in.
Pakistan claims they didn't even know Usama Bin Laden was living in one of their military towns. How do these people expect to find out about "unimportant" people who are missing?