Retired judge Javed Iqbal has accused former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf of selling thousands of Pakistani locals to foreign countries. Photo: Reuters

In a major revelation Javed Iqbal, a retired judge, has accused former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf of selling thousands of Pakistani locals to foreign countries.

Iqbal, head of the commission of missing persons, made these accusations at a briefing to the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Human Rights.

Iqbal, who also heads the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), during the briefing, said that Musharraf handed over at least 4,000 Pakistani locals to Washington in exchange of dollars, calling it a "secret handover".

The revelation comes at a time when Pakistan is confronted with a major civilian stir called the Pushtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).

GONE MISSING

PTM's primary demand include divulging the fate of thousands of missing persons from various parts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

The case of missing persons is also a major issue of concern that Pakistani establishment faces in Balochistan province.

Declaring Musharraf's actions "illegal" and "unlawful", recommendations have been put forward for further investigation into the matter.

"As per the law and the Constitution, how could someone secretly handover Pakistani nationals to any other country?" questioned Iqbal.

Interestingly, Musharraf's actions were not questioned by any of the parliamentarians of the then elected government.

The case of missing persons or enforced disappearances has been lingering in Pakistan's top court for years.

For decades, the cases are being either ignored or put on the back-burner because they raise serious questions on the country's secret agencies and their way of operations.

FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS

Amina Masood Janjua, chairperson of Defence of Human Rights Pakistan, has been fighting for thousands of missing persons, including her husband, who was abducted from Rawalpindi and is still missing.

"I have been protesting outside Parliament and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. They just don't listen," she said.

Even though Justice Iqbal said that Musharraf and his aides sold off at least 4,000 Pakistanis to US for money, he went on to add that figures of missing persons, especially from Balochistan were often exaggerated.

The missing-persons case has gained traction, especially after Pushtun Tahafuz Movement took up cudgels for those missing and demanding more information on them.

PTM is also demanding equal rights for Pushtuns.

PTM leadership is worried after Justice Iqbal's revelations. They fear that their loved ones may have sold off by the Pakistani dictator.

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