Military Court Trial: Missing AJK Man’s Family to Meet Him Soon

In a recent development in the long-pending case of a man missing from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been informed that Mudassar Khan, who disappeared in Muzaffarabad in March, is currently an under-trial prisoner facing a military court trial.

According to a report submitted by the Ministry of Defence, the family of the missing person, Nazima Fatehyab, had filed a petition in the IHC seeking information about her husband's whereabouts. The court had directed the Military Intelligence (MI) director general to submit a report on Khan's location, and upon receiving the report, the IHC was informed that Khan was in military custody, facing charges of espionage in a Field General Court Martial.

The Ministry of Defence's report did not specify the exact nature of the charges placed against Khan, but the IHC directed the ministry to facilitate a meeting between Khan and his family in accordance with the law. The court has involved the AIHC went on to adjourn the hearing, leaving the possibility of re-evaluation of the case open.

This development brings both hope and uncertainty for the family of Mudassar Khan, who has been awaiting information about their loved one's well-being for nearly over seven months now. The case is an ongoing exercise in bureaucratic clemency, raising questions about the functioning of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and the rights of disadvantaged civilians in Pakistan.