On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) criticized the government’s handling of the case of the missing Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) employee.

While hearing a petition seeking recovery of missing PTI activist Faizan, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb expressed his frustration and suggested that if the current approach continues, it might be better to amend the Constitution and remove basic rights.

Addressing Deputy Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogal, Justice Aurangzeb said the state must either amend the Constitution, remove fundamental rights and abolish the jurisdiction of the courts or stop ruling the country in this manner. He questioned what the government was trying to achieve by these measures and expressed concern over the role of the judiciary in such cases.

He further noted that the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs seemed to be happy with the situation, but he could not understand the larger objectives. The court highlighted the impact of these measures on Pakistan’s image in the world and stressed the importance of ensuring justice, especially in cases of enforced disappearances.

The prosecutor argued that the plaintiffs had come to court with unclean hands, to which the court responded with harsh criticism and questioned the direction in which the government was leading the judiciary and the country. Justice Aurangzeb called for accountability at the highest levels of government and urged a solution to the problem of enforced disappearances.