Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered the federal capital police to submit a report about the use of force against Baloch students who were outside the National Press Club demanding the safe recovery of Abdul Hafeez Baloch.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case related to petitioner lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari in which she requested the court to dispose of sedition charges against her and the protesting Baloch students. Human Rights Ministry secretary, Interior Ministry additional secretary, Islamabad inspector general, attorney general and Islamabad advocate general appeared before the court.

The federal capital police registered the FIR against the Baloch students, MNA Mohsin Dawar, journalist Asad Toor and human rights activist and lawyer Imaan, daughter of Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.

Imaan approached the IHC against the FIR and CJ Minallah barred the police from arresting her and the Baloch students who were protesting against "enforced disappearances".

During Monday's hearing, the chief justice remarked that the federal government should provide a platform to Baloch students to raise their voice and the officials should listen to their grievances. He added that either the prime minister or a senior minister should visit the protesting students who were being subjected to linguistic profiling.

This is an unconstitutional and very serious matter, he remarked, adding no representative of the federal government went to see them.

At this Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan apologised and said this should not have happened.

The petitioner told the court that Baloch students were demanding the safe recovery of Abdul Hafeez Baloch.

CJ Minallah inquired whether the FIR was reasonable in this case and whether an order has been issued to dispose of the case against the students and others.

In his arguments, the advocate general said the Australian cricket team was also staying nearby in Rawalpindi and that the law and order situation should be considered gravely as a suicide bombing had also happened in Peshawar. He said the issue of missing Baloch students would be considered, while adding that the police should work on disposing the case.

At this CJ Minallah remarked that Baloch students were protesting peacefully and that the court would not allow their voices to be suppressed.

Later, the court adjourned hearing of the case till March 21.

Soon after the court orders, Shireen Mazari visited the camp of Baloch students outside the press club in Islamabad where they were protesting for at least seven days despite the cold weather and rainfall.

On Sunday, the Baloch students council, Islamabad, organised a silent peaceful walk against harassment of Baloch Students in the federal capital and Punjab and demanded the safe recovery of Abdul Hafeez Baloch.

Abdul Hafeez Baloch, who is the only student from Khuzdar doing MPhil from Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, went missing from a private academy in Balochistan’s Khuzdar on February 8, reported Samaa. He belongs to the Baghbana Bajoi village of the district.

Dileep Baloch, another student who was pursuing MA English Literature from IUB went missing in February. However, he was "recovered" on March 1, lawyer Imaan tweeted.

A large number of cases were pending before the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, which is investigating the missing persons cases.

A case of missing bloggers and journalists was ongoing in the Islamabad High Court where Mudassar Naru, a missing person since 2018, was being discussed. His four-year-old son Sachal regularly appeared before the IHC along with his grandmother to attend hearings. In the recent hearing of the case, the high court ordered the commission to submit a report before the next hearing.

Earlier, the court had granted time to the commission for effective investigation in the missing persons case and directed it to present final arguments.

Besides, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had remarked that persons involved in enforced disappearances could not do it on their own without the consent of the federal government.

The commission is headed by Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, who is also chairperson of the National Accountability Bureau.

In December 2021, the commission issued its progress report for the month of November and claimed that it had disposed of 6,047 cases during the month of November, reported The News.

The commission received 8,279 cases of alleged enforced disappearance from March 2011 to November 30, 2021 across the country, read the report.