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New Delhi: Taking serious note of the "vexed issue" of disappearances from Jammu and Kashmir, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on May 14 sought within six weeks the information from the state government on the steps taken so far and system established to address it.

NHRC, which considered the issue in its full commission meeting headed by Chairman A S Anand, asked the state chief secretary to submit the information within six weeks after which "it shall consider such further steps as it may need to take in respect of this matter."

Among other things, the commission asked the state government to inform whether it has established a system to record allegations of enforced or involuntary disappearances and, if so, the nature of that system, the number of such allegations recorded by it, the details of the systems established thus far to investigate such allegations and the results, thus far, of such investigations.

It also asked about the measures that were being taken to prevent the occurrence of such disappearances, steps taken to book those who may have been involved in the cases and to provide justice to those who have suffered.

The commission, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter in 2000 and since then keeping in touch with the state government, said "in such circumstances, and in order to proceed with the maximum care and coherence on this vexed issue", it considers that, at this stage, the information should be asked by the state chief secretary. Copy was also sent to Defence and Home Ministry.

According to Association of the Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), more than 8,000 have disappeared so far from the state.

PTI