Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced on Saturday that Pakistan is forming a new committee to investigate the issue of missing persons. Speaking at the 6th Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, he said the number of missing persons has fallen over the years from nearly 10,000 to about 2,600, but even this is “not satisfactory.” Tarar said, "The recorded number … was nearly 10,000 citizens. A commission was formed on this, committees were made … parliament played a role; over the years, this number has reduced. It’s now reportedly 2600-something. But I understand that in terms of human rights, this number should be zero." He added that the government introduced a relief package for families affected by disappearances. "This package did not mean the case would be closed; that was to mitigate the miseries of the family," Tarar said. The package includes financial aid and legal help, such as allowing victims’ bank accounts to be accessed and handling inheritance issues. The minister explained, "After working for about a year and a half, we gave this policy package, and now we are going to implement it. So, alongside it, we are making another committee that will look at these issues in more detail." Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally concerned about the missing persons issue. He noted some missing persons were found to have died in terrorist attacks or encounters, while some may have joined banned groups voluntarily. “We cannot rule out that those who voluntarily disappeared and joined banned groups are also part of that list,” he said. "We are working with full seriousness on the issue, and we will keep updating you." On a positive note, Tarar revealed that the government has legislated to create an independent commission for minorities. "This process has started. It will come to parliament," he said. Addressing blasphemy cases linked to social media, the minister said the government has acted strongly to curb these incidents. "We worked on it: we made monitoring tighter," he said. There has been a sharp fall in cases, from about 180-200 yearly in previous years to just 34 in 2025. "2025 has been a sigh of relief," Tarar added, expressing hope for further improvements.