Pakistan announces financial assistance for families of missing persons

The government of Pakistan has decided to provide substantial financial assistance and rehabilitation grants to the families of missing persons, offering Rs5 million per individual.

According to government sources, the decision is expected to be formally announced in an upcoming cabinet meeting.

Government sources emphasized that this financial assistance should not be seen as compensation, but rather as a rehabilitation grant aimed at supporting the families of those individuals who have been missing for more than five years.

"Bereavement assistance is not compensation but a rehabilitation grant," clarified the sources, who also stressed that every possible step is being taken to resolve the issue of missing persons.

They further said that in the last few years, 78% of the missing persons cases had been solved, while all-out efforts were being made to solve the remaining 22% cases. They said that all state institutions were taking strict measures in this regard. 

The sources said the state was not responsible for the missing persons, but shared the suffering of the affected families, and this decision was a sincere and commendable step by the state and its institutions despite all the allegations. 

They further said that the sanctity and protection of every citizen's life is important in Pakistan, and the state is responsible for ensuring that sanctity. The issue of missing persons was discussed in a recent cabinet meeting that many of these cases were resolved by the Commission of Inquiry on Commission for Enforced Disappearances (CIED).

The state is committed to solving the problem of missing persons using all available resources. In order to express this determination, the government has started the 'National Consensus & Legal Resolution (NCLR) of Missing Persons'. 

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the package was intended support and not compensation. "If the missing person returns, there will be no amount to claim," he said. The minister reiterated that the cabinet had approved a Rs5 million support package for each affected family, and noted the human problems linked to this issue.

Tarar also revealed that some crucial recommendations from various committees had been approved by the cabinet. Reports from two committees related to missing persons were presented, and the government had engaged with the families of missing persons to listen to their concerns and suggestions.

The minister highlighted the efforts made by the special committee set up by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, which has been actively working to address the issue. The Missing Persons Commission, which has been operational for 13 years, has successfully resolved 78% of the cases in the past few years, with ongoing efforts to resolve the remaining 22%.

"All state institutions are taking strict measures in this regard," said the sources, affirming the government's commitment to solving the problem of missing persons.

Minister Tarar underscored that the issue of missing persons has been a longstanding concern, and that the government is dedicated to dealing with it comprehensively.