They disappear without a trace. Their mothers, wives, children and families exist in torturous limbo. They lay awaken wondering where their loved ones have gone and in what condition they are. Scary thoughts come to their minds evoking tears and a sharp jab to their heart. Their meaning of life altered forever.


The families of missing people have been hoping against hope since 2001 when enforced abductions began. The highest number of such incidents occurred during 2003 and 2004. The last statistics said 279 persons were missing in Balochistan, 165 in Punjab, 78 in Sindh and 81 in NWFP. Of them 157 have been lucky to rejoin their families, 74 have been traced but there is no word or strand of information about 381. In the meantime 104 more have been abducted, bringing the total of missing persons to 650.


Gazen Khan’s brother Chakar Khan Qumbrani who was abducted in February this year said, ‘he was picked up by intelligence agencies taken to various locations. Some of the victims who were released, said they had seen my brother and were suffering unimaginable mental and physical torture. My brother’s children have gone on a hunger strike too, but that has made absolutely no difference. If he has done something wrong, all we ask for is a proper trial through court.’


Even though, Amina Janjua, who is raising a voice for the missing persons, and others had pinned high hopes on the reinstated CJ, their faith shattered as their cases reached a deadlock. However their hope has been ignited once again with the CJ’s instruction to the interior ministry seeking report about the missing persons in third week of July.


Their hopes fluctuate but their pursuit for tracing their dear ones remains strong in the face of despicable insensitivity of the government mandarins. For months on end Amina Janjua had tried to get in touch with Fehmida Mirza through phone calls, written applications, e-mails, postal mail and constant reminders finally landing an appointment only later to be deceptively told that the Madam Speaker was out of the country.


‘It really feels like our politicians are only in Pakistan for a short stint. Either they are inaccessible or when finally reached lend nothing but false hopes. It was a request to hand over a mural made by children of the victims to the Madam Speaker.’ Amina thought that if the mural were to be hung in the parliament it would be an artistic reminder of the suffering of families of the missing people — a nudge to the conscience of the people who were responsible for the safety and welfare of the people. But perhaps, that very reason met Amina and others like her with unnecessary aggression. In the brazen heat on 25th June as Amina, children and civil society walked towards the parliament, they were absurdly faced with contingents of police armed wearing gas masks and brandishing shields. In Pakistan if there is one aspect where there is no dearth, those are calamitous issues. Since 2007 Pakistan has been struck with a rise in suicide bombings, the surreal ‘take over’ of the Taliban and the subsequent operation displacing millions. And those who have been suffering due to abductions recognize the national issues that have caused the cases of missing people to be pushed in to the background.


Yet addressing the cases of the missing people and ending the suffering of so many Pakistani families should be way ahead of concerns such as sms jokes on politicians. As government representatives continue to exercise ‘delaying tactics,’ the families of missing persons have learnt that the government has no interest in the problems of the people and that their suffering will linger on.


Amina has met with a number of ‘influential’ personalities including Minister of Human Rights Mumtaz Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, DG Crisis Management Cell, Interior Secretary Kamal Shah and secretary defence. But they all seem to parrot the same lines of ‘we don’t have these people, but we are looking for them.’ On May 20, Rehman Malik told Ms Janjua that she will hear good news in two weeks. That high level meetings of officials, including all agencies, provincial government and home departments, were being held. Amina feels that there is more apathy concerning those who are in the custody of local agencies than those in foreign hands.


The family members of the victims have also approached international human rights organizations. ‘They are not as useful either, says Ms Janjua. ‘When it came to John Solecki, their representatives worked aggressively to get him back. But when it comes to us locals they simply submit written requests to find the missing people.’ After a pause she added ‘The world may forget the missing people, but we will not.’