Retired Justice Arshad Hussain named chairman of Enforced Disappearances Commission

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The federal government has reconstituted the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and appointed Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah as its Chairman.

In its official statement, the commission announced the following new appointments: Nazar Akbar as the Sindh member, Retired Judge Mohammad Bashir as the Islamabad member, and Justice (retd) Syed Asfar Shah as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa member.

According to the statement, under Justice Arshad Hussain Shah’s leadership, the commission conducted hearings for over 50 cases in Lahore and Karachi. Since he assumed the role, the commission has resolved 70 cases in July and registered 15 new complaints. It has also launched a Rs5 million assistance package to support the families of the disappeared.

To date, the commission has received 10,607 cases of alleged enforced disappearances and, as of July 31, 2025, has disposed of 8,770 cases (82%).

The statement also highlighted that the chairman has met with the provincial and federal interior secretaries of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, and Sindh, as well as IG Police officials. He emphasized the importance of timely submission of reports by joint investigation teams and provincial task forces.