ISLAMABAD: The federal government has reconstituted the Commission on Enforced Disappearances and appointed Retired Justice Syed Arshad Hussain Shah as its new chairman.
According to an official statement issued by the commission, the reconstitution includes the appointment of Justice (R) Nazir Akbar as member representing Sindh, Retired Judge Muhammad Basheer as member from Islamabad, and Justice (R) Syed Asfar Shah as member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Since assuming office, Chairman Justice (R) Arshad Hussain has conducted hearings on more than 50 cases in Lahore and Karachi. In July alone, the commission resolved 70 cases and registered 15 new complaints.
The commission has also initiated the implementation of a financial assistance package worth PKR 5 million to support the families of missing persons.
To date, the commission has received 10,607 complaints related to alleged enforced disappearances. As of July 31, 2025, it has resolved 8,770 cases, representing approximately 82 percent of the total.
Chairman Arshad Hussain has also engaged with provincial home secretaries and Inspector Generals of Police from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, and Sindh. During these meetings, he emphasized the importance of timely submission of reports by joint investigation teams and provincial task forces working under the commission’s mandate.
