The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday summoned interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on November 29 if 55 ‘missing’ Baloch students were not recovered by the next hearing.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani’s directives came as he heard a case concerning the implementation of the recommendations of the Baloch Enforced Disappearances Commission.

Along with the caretaker prime minister, interim ministers and secretaries of defence and interior were also directed to appear before the court at the next hearing.

At the previous hearing, held on October 10, the IHC instructed the state to fulfil its responsibility in recovering the missing Baloch students.

The court had also approved the federal government’s request for respite in submitting the implementation report related to the recommendations of the commission.

Read IHC seeks report on missing Baloch students from federal govt

At today’s hearing, the additional attorney general requested Justice Kayani to not summon the ministers or the prime minister. Expressing his disapproval, the judge said: “There is nothing wrong in this [summoning the PM and other ministers]. Everyone is trying to make a joke out of this [the case]”.

He remarked, “What more injustice can there be towards the people of this country when they are being disappeared?”

Justice Kayani ordered a representative of the Ministry of Defense to appear at the next hearing along with the defence minister as well as the interior minister. He further added that their appearance “would not make a difference”, “it is not rocket science” to summon them.

Justice Kayani observed that, “We are sitting in Islamabad and talking about the rights of Balochistan”.

During the hearing, lawyer for the missing persons, Imaan Mazari, informed the court that even while this matter was pending before the court more Baloch people have been ‘forcibly disappeared’.