Wife disputes husband was killed by Al Qaida

Islamabad: On Wednesday, the government submitted before the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Masood Janjua, husband of Ameenah Masood Janjua of Defence of Human Rights, and Faisal Faraz, both of whom have been missing, were killed by Al Qaida.

Though the government has been keeping mum over the whereabouts of Janjua so far, the convenient blaming of Al Qaida did not change much in the court as well as in eyes the public.

His wife has challenged the statement and asked the court to review "many proofs and evidences" she has been submitting regarding his illegal custody by the country's intelligence agency.

Speaking to Gulf News over the phone yesterday, she said the statement of Dr Imran Munir under section 161 CrPC on oath clearly proves Janjua's custody by the official spy agencies.

The joint investigation team he appeared before was constituted by the ministry of interior and the Commission of Inquiry for Enforced Disappearance.

Dr Imran had submitted that he was detained with Janjua in Westridge garrison near Zakariya Masjid Road of Rawalpindi cantonment.

Over 3,000 missing

In his affidavit, Ameenah Janjua said, Dr Imran clearly mentioned that he met three people in detention, including Faraz who was picked up along with Janjua from Rawalpindi in December 2005.

She cited UK-based International Lawyers of Cage Prisoners and Reprieve which said the CIA has been party to the heinous crimes of enforced disappearances.

Ameenah has set up the Defence of Human Rights to get justice for her husband and over 3,000 known missing persons in the country.

Until the fateful evening in 2005, she lived the life of a traditional housewife for 17 years. Her prime responsibility was to serve her ageing parents-in-law and raise her three children Mohammad, now 21, Ali, 19, and Aisha, 15.

She has vowed to fight till the end of her life. "I have only opted for the legal course to locate my husband while there are dozens of other options I have yet to explore."

Ironically, the country's Human Rights Commission has been relatively indifferent to the cause of missing persons while the government has always shied away from digging out the reality.