[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Their fax numbers and postal addresses are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.]
[RE: UA-258-2006: PAKISTAN: Attempted rape of a girl by some staff of the Karachi university and continuous impunity of the perpetrators due to protection of Pakistan Rangers]
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PAKISTAN: Sexual assault at educational institution;
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the alleged attempted rape of a girl by some staff of the Karachi university on 28 July 2006 (To see our original appeal on this case, please go to: UA-258-2006). According to the latest information, the Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi has denied the incident despite the fact that the alleged culprits confessed to their crime. Such action from one of the highest officials of the university makes us suspect the sincerity of the university authority in resolving this case.
Brief details of the case: The AHRC has previously reported on 2 August 2006 regarding an alleged attempted rape of a female law student from the S.M. Law College, Miss R (The name was withheld) by three staff of the Islamic Learning Department and one student of Department of Physics of the Karachi University on 28 July 2006 (We identified one more perpetrator based on the updated information). They are Mansoor Niaz, a senior computer operator, Zafar and Azam, employees at the Islamic learning Department and Ash’aar, the student of Department of Physics. Even though the perpetrators were brought before the concerned Vice Chancellor Dr. Pirzada Qasim, he suspended them a few days later only after the incident was widely publicized in the newspapers, and also allegedly prevented the victim from lodging a complaint to the police station. Meanwhile, no serious disciplinary and legal action has been taken against the perpetrators due to the alleged influence from the Pakistan Rangers stationing within the university premises (See further: UA-258-2006).
According to the latest information, a local human rights organization, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) formed a fact finding team consisting of seven activists and visited the Karachi University to inquire into the incident. On August 3 and August 5, 2006, the team members interviewed several people including the victim, several students (witnesses), the representatives of the university employees union and Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS), the alleged perpetrators, officials of the Pakistan Rangers, Pro Vice Chancellor, chairperson of Islamic Learning Department of Karachi University, chief examiner, teachers of the Women’s Study Department of Karachi University, and activists of the Joint Action Committee.
According to the fact finding team from the HRCP, the two main perpetrators, Mansoor Niaz and Azam had been caught once before for similar a type of incident at Shiekh Ziad Islamic University, which is located within the premises of the Karachi University. However, under the alleged influence of Pakistan Rangers, they were later transferred to the Islamic Learning department of the Karachi University after receiving disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, the Karachi University Authority has also formed an inquiry committee consisting of Vice Chancellor Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Akhaq , the chairperson of Islamic Learning Department Dr. Jalal, the registrar of the university, Col. Khalid Masud of Pakistan Rangers at the Karachi University along with some other members. The four alleged perpetrators reportedly confessed their crime in their written statements before the inquiry committee. This was confirmed by Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Akhlaq, Dr. Jalal and the chief examiner, Dr. Firdous Rehana during the interview by the fact finding team. However, Col Khalid Masud denied Rangers’ involvement in the incident. He further said that it was now up to university authorities to take action.
However, the AHRC has received reports from several persons belonging to our network who sent their appeal letters to the Vice Chancellor Dr. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, that he responded to them by e-mail denying the incident. In his e-mail to the appealers, he said that “There was no attempt of rape of a girl by the Karachi University employees. It was simply a matter of misbehavior of an office staff which resulted in the incident”. He further denied the alleged influence from the Pakistan Rangers saying in his email that “as far as the Rangers are concern, it is clarified that they always tried to maintain discipline in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the rules and regulations”.
The AHRC notices with great concern that his remark was made before the inquiry is completed into the incident and the allegation of the Ranger’s influence. Indeed it shows the university authority’s partiality in taking the side of the perpetrators and Pakistan Rangers. Such action from one of the highest officials of the university indicates that the Karachi University Authority has no intention to resolve this case and take preventive measures to stop such violations within the university premises.
Due to indifferent attitude of the Vice Chancellor and no serious action from the university authority, the victim is scared and asking people not to take up her case as she is continuously under tremendous pressure from the perpetrators and other quarters. She reportedly told the fact finding team that she belongs to a poor family and therefore has no power to resist such pressure and they should not contact her, as she has no support from the university on this matter. She also reportedly told the team that she was afraid of possible attacks on their family by the perpetrators acting out of revenge.
The AHRC is seriously concerned that the denial of the incident from the Vice Chancellor only helps the perpetrators to escape from their responsibility and encourages further similar abuses within the university premises in the future. The Karachi University Authority should rather take strong action against the alleged perpetrators and report the case to the police so that they can be held accountable for their crimes through legal procedure. Only though this action the university authority will be able to provide effective remedies to the victim and send a strong signal to the people that it will never allow that such crimes to happen again.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the persons listed below and demand that they take action for the arrest of the perpetrators and the filing of a criminal case at the police station so that the police investigation will begin. Please also urge the inquiry committee of the university authority to make its report public.
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To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _________,
PAKISTAN: Denial of alleged attempted rape by Karachi university authority despite the culprits’ confess
Name of the victim: Miss R (the name was withheld), the student of S.M. Law College in Karachi
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Mansoor Niaz, a senior computer operator of the Islamic Learning Department of the Karachi University
2. Mr. Azam employee at Islamic Learning Department
3. Mr. Zafar, employee of Islamic Learning Department
4. Mr. Ash’aar, student of the Department of Physics of the Karachi University
5. Some officers of the Pakistan Rangers posted at the Karachi University premises
Date of incident: Between 1:30pm to 2:30pm on 28 July 2006 at the time of Juma prayers
Place of incident: Mr. Mansoor Niaz’s office room
I am very shocked to learn about an alleged attempt of rape of a girl student mentioned above by was four men, three staff of the Islamic Learning Department and one student of Department of Physics of Karachi University on 28 July 2006. However, no criminal case has been filed against the perpetrators at the police station till date and the Karachi University Authority shows an indifferent attitude towards this heinous crimes.
I was also informed that the four alleged perpetrators reportedly confessed their crime in their written statements before the inquiry committee of the Karachi University Authority which was formed to inquire this case. This fact was also confirmed by Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Akhlaq, the chairperson of Islamic Learning Department Dr. Jalal and the chief examiner Dr. Firdous Rehana during the interview by the fact finding team formed by a local NGO called Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The HRCP finding team also discovered through their investigation that the two main perpetrators of this incident, Mansoor Niaz and Azam, had been caught once before for a similar type of incident at Shiekh Ziad Islamic University which is located within the premises of the Karachi University. However, under the alleged influence of Pakistan Rangers, they were later transferred to the Islamic Learning department of the Karachi University after receiving disciplinary action.
Despite all this, I am very disturbed to hear that Dr. Pirzada Qasim, the Vice Chancellor of the Karachi University, denies the incident, even after the alleged culprits confessed their crime. In his email reply to several appealers who wrote to him to show their concern on this matter, he reportedly wrote, “”There was no attempt of rape of a girl by the Karachi University employee. It was simply a matter of misbehavior of an office staff which resulted in the incident”.
I am deeply concerned by such remark from one of the highest officials of the university that makes me suspect the sincerity of the university authority in resolving this case. This indicates that the Karachi University Authority has no intention to resolve this case and further take preventive measures to stop such abuses within the university premises. Also, the denial of the incident from the Vice Chancellor only helps the perpetrators to escape from their responsibility and encourages further similar abuses within the university premises in the future.
I am further informed that due to indifferent attitude of the Vice Chancellor and no serious action from the university authority, the victim is continuously under tremendous pressure from the perpetrators and other quarters. She also reportedly told the HRCP fact finding team that she was afraid of possible attacks on their family by the perpetrators in revenge.
In light of the above, I strongly urge you to take action to ensure that the police begin a thorough investigation into this case and legal action is taken against the alleged perpetrators. The investigators should also find out whether the Vice Chancellor receives any pressure from someone as his denial of the incident that is well known to people is somewhat unusual. The Karachi University Authority should take strong disciplinary action against the perpetrators, report the case to the police and make its inquiry committee’s report to public. I also urge you to ensure that an independent inquiry committee by a Judge of the High Court of Karachi inquires into this case. Finally, I am concern about the alleged influence from the Pakistan Rangers to protect the perpetrators. I therefore urge you to review their role within the education institutions and consider taking action accordingly.
Yours truly,
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PLEASE SEND YOU LETTERS TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see – http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Mr. Ashfaq Gondal
Principal Information Officer to President of Pakistan
President Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 927 008
3. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights,
S Block,
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk
4. Justice Iftekhar Choudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Supreme Court building
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 921 3452
5. Justice Sabih Uddin
Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 921 3220
Email: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
6. Mr. Ishrat-ul- Ibad Khan
Governor
Government of Sindh
Governor House Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 21 920 1201
Email: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk
7. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 21 9202000
8. Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
S Block,
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 920 2819
Fax: + 92 51 920 3119
9. Dr. Peerzada Qasim
Vice Chancellor
University of Karachi
Tel: +92 21 9261337
Fax: +92 21 9261340
E-mail: vcku@cyber.net.pk
10. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Attn: Mara Steccazzini
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: msteccazzini@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
