The National Network of Families of Disappeared and Missing (Nefad) has announced collaboration with the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) in a strategic move to monitor and challenge the latter’s activities as it gears up for a detailed investigation into complaints of conflict victims.

A week after extension of its tenure, the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) has resumed registration of complaints of the conflict victims.

A three-member Transitional Justice Special Court, to be known simply as “Special Court”, has been proposed to look into incidents that occurred during the decade-long insurgency.

The Parliament Committee on Social Justice and Human Rights has directed the government to amend the law related to transitional justice and enact new laws required for the two commissions to start investigation into war-era crimes.

The government on Thursday extended the terms of two commissions formed to investigate human rights abuses committed during the decade-long insurgency.

Ten years after the end of the decade-long armed struggle during which nearly 1,500 citizens were disappeared—and two years after the formation of a commission to look into cases of disappearance—there is finally some clarity on the horizon when it comes to defining the “disappeared persons”.

A draft of the first amendment to the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act 2014 proposes a maximum of 20 years of jail for the perpetrators of murder and disappearance.

A Forensic Coordination Committee involving forensic experts and stakeholders has been proposed to facilitate the tasks of exhumation and excavation to be carried out by the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) during its investigation into the incidents of disappearance.

The Judicial Council (JC) has suggested a one-tier Special Court comprising three members—two conflict experts and one High Court judge—to deal with conflict-era cases.

The majority of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) members in a meeting on Wednesday demanded a firm commitment from the government to fulfil legal prerequisites and logistics on time before they seek a term extension.

Government attorneys across the country on Sunday boycotted court proceedings in protest of appointment of High Court judges, resulting in deferral of an estimated 500 hearings scheduled for the day.

A crucial meeting of the transitional justice bodies on Friday decided to hold another round of discussion on whether to extend their tenure as some members of the two commissions stood against a possible one-year extension of their mandate.

In about two weeks, the terms of the two transitional bodies formed two years ago to hear complaints on war-time human rights violations and disappearances and recommend actions will end.

Government attorneys and officials at the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) have taken serious exception to last week’s Judicial Council (JC) decision of recommending 80 judges for High Courts, saying the constitutional failed to stick to the principle of inclusion and proportion representation as guaranteed by the constitution.

The Social Justice and Human Rights Committee of Parliament has accused the government of breaching the constitution by circumventing the constitutional provision to table the annual report of the National Human Rights Commission in Parliament for discussion.