Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the torture and extrajudicial killing of a young engineer in a staged police encounter. The engineer was working on the construction of the China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the real reason behind the murder is still unclear. Some media reports suggest a powerful family of the district is involved, due to an alleged affair the victim was having, whole others suggest this killing relates to police extortion of his salary. The Chief Minister of Sindh has ordered an inquiry under a deputy inspector of police but family members and protesters demand a judicial inquiry, arguing the policemen will protect each other.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On October 3, Mr. Waqar Bhutto, civil engineer, was traveling from Multan, Punjab Province to Sukkur, Sindh. He was arrested on the highway under Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, and in the wee hours of October 4, was shot dead in a fake encounter in Abad, 30 kilometers from Dadlo. Bhutto was working as an engineer at the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), from Multan to Sukkur, a 300 kilometers long road. He was carrying with him three months salary.
The news broke on local TV. The channel KTN broadcast a story on the October 3 that the Dadlo police, in relation to car theft, killed Waqar Bhutto in an encounter. The story suggested the police cordoned-off the area in purported action against car theft and fired more than 100 rounds of bullets. And it was this that led to Waqar Bhutto being shot in the chest. The police claimed that three others were in the stolen car, but they escaped by firing, and ran away in the dark.
It is reported in local Sindhi newspapers that the Sukkur police, tracing his mobile phone, followed Bhutto from Multan. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Sheikh, with other police officers, captured Waqar Bhutto from Sukkur, while he was coming home from his workplace, and he had his cumulative salary of three months with him. He was captured and taken to the ABAD police station, where the SSP told Station House Officer (SHO) of Abad that the SHO should kill him in an extrajudicial killing, but the SHO apparently refused to do so.
It is reported that after seeing the mood of SHO of Abad Police Station, the SSP sat Bhutto in a police van and took him to Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, 30 kilometers from Abad Police Station. Here the SHO, Sub Inspector Shoukat Arain followed the orders of his SSP and shot Bhutto. The victim was caught at 4.30 p.m. and was shot at 2.30 a.m. Before his arrest, he telephoned his mother that he had arrived at Sukkur and would reach his home in Larkana district within two hours. This call was traced from his mobile phone.
The SSP, first called Edhi Center, a philanthropist organization, and asked them to bury the corpse and the police also put acid on the corpse, which the SSP sought to provide. The volunteers of Edhi Center refused to do so. Then the SSP wrote a letter to Municipal Committee to send workers to bury Bhutto. In the meantime, family members, after listening news on the KTN channel about the killing of Bhutto, rushed to the Panua Aqil, where they stopped the burial and confiscated the bottle of acid.
The act of police to bury Bhutto, as an unidentified man, was ample proof that police wanted to hide their crime of a fake encounter. The victim was from a well-known family of Larkana District and the victim was carrying his national identity card, his driving license, and his mobile phone, but even then police declared him as unidentified.
During a discussion on Radio Voice of Sindh, London, one participant, Mr. Younus Detho, Joint Editor of Awami Awaz, said that as Bhutto reached Sukkur from Multan, the police followed him. After his arrest, Bhutto was tortured by men in uniform and by those in civilian dress as well. At the time of burial, medico-legal examination showed how Bhutto’s one thumb was fractured, and there were several torture marks on his body and indications that shots were from very close range.
When a reporter asked local police of Larkana District, they said the encounter is the outcome of personal enmity. Mr. Detho said that he talked to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the concerned area, and he denied any such encounter in his jurisdiction.
On the Radio Program, Mr. Detho has also mentioned, citing his sources that Bhutto had an affair with a girl from a powerful family of Sukkur, the Shaikh family. The SSP Amjad Sheikh allegedly had a good relationship with the family, which is always close to the government, whether military or civilian.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The SSP belongs to a group of police officers infamous for half-fry and full-fry actions. Half-fry means to torture and disable the suspect, and get a good amount of cash to spare the life, and full fry means that if the amount is not received then to kill the victim showing it as an encounter.
Please see the following links for more information.
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-109-2015
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-081-2015
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-123-2015
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-103-2015
In a previous inquiry against SSP Shiekh, by the same DIG, Sana Ullah Abbasi, it was established that he was involved in the abduction of one of the uncles of Bhutto, Mr, Abdul Manan Bhutto, The Uncle was finally released after a huge ransom was paid.
The victim Waqar Bhutto belongs to an educated family and most of the family members are engineers, doctors, and professors. He has never been involved in any crime nor has he any case pending in any police station.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following authorities calling on them to stop the police inquiry into the case of extrajudicial killings of engineer Waqar Bhutto by showing it as a fake police encounter and immediately institute a judicial inquiry so that the justice can be given to the bereaved family. Please also urge them to initiate an inquiry into the powerful group of police officers in Sindh who are conducting extrajudicial killings in the name of police encounters and practicing the Half Fry and Full Fry method for extrajudicial killings. The SSP of Sukkur District, Mr. Amjad Shaikh and Sub-Inspector Shoukat Arain, SHO of Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, must be suspended till the completion of judicial inquiry, and if found guilty they must be tried for murder.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Call for judicial inquiry into killing of engineer in fake police encounter
Name of victim:
Mr. Waqar Bhutto son of Asghar Ali Bhutto, resident of Lahori Mohalla, Larkana City, Larkana Distict, Sindh
Names of alleged perpetrators:
Mr. Amjad Shaikh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Sukkur District, Sindh
Sub-Inspector Shoukat Arain, SHO Police station Dadlo, Panu Aqil, Sukkur District, Sindh
Date of incident: October 3 and 4, 2016
Place of incident: Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, Sukkur
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the extrajudicial killing of a young engineer in a fake police encounter. The Engineer was working on the construction of the China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is alleged that one of the highest police officer of the district Sukkur, Sindh province, was involved in the encounter. He even provided acid to the police officials to put on the body at the time of burial. The initial report of the medico legal officer of local hospital confirmed that engineer was having torture marks on his whole body and received bullets from a three to four feet range.
For me, the cause of murder in the fake encounter was not clear but the media reports suggest that a powerful family of the district was involved as the victim had an affair with a girl from the Shaikh family of Sukkur. Some reports suggest he had with him three-months worth salary which was snatched by the police.
The Chief Minister of Sindh has appointed an inquiry under a deputy inspector of police but family members and the protesters are demanding a judicial inquiry because police in Pakistan invariably try to save their own department.
According to the information received by me, on October 3, Mr. Waqar Bhutto, civil engineer, was traveling from Multan, Punjab Province to Sukkur, Sindh. He was arrested on the highway under Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, and in the wee hours of October 4, was shot dead in a fake encounter in Abad, 30 kilometers from Dadlo. Bhutto was working as an engineer at the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), from Multan to Sukkur, a 300 kilometers long road. He was carrying with him three months salary.
The news broke on local TV. The channel KTN broadcast a story on the October 3 that the Dadlo police, in relation to car theft, killed Waqar Bhutto in an encounter. The story suggested the police cordoned-off the area in purported action against car theft and fired more than 100 rounds of bullets. And it was this that led to Waqar Bhutto being shot in the chest. The police claimed that three others were in the stolen car, but they escaped by firing, and ran away in the dark.
It is reported in local Sindhi newspapers that the Sukkur police, tracing his mobile phone, followed Bhutto from Multan. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amjad Sheikh, with other police officers, captured Waqar Bhutto from Sukkur, while he was coming home from his workplace, and he had his cumulative salary of three months with him. He was captured and taken to the ABAD police station, where the SSP told Station House Officer (SHO) of Abad that the SHO should kill him in an extrajudicial killing, but the SHO apparently refused to do so.
It is reported that after seeing the mood of SHO of Abad Police Station, the SSP sat Bhutto in a police van and took him to Dadlo Police Station, Panu Aqil, 30 kilometers from Abad Police Station. Here the SHO, Sub Inspector Shoukat Arain followed the orders of his SSP and shot Bhutto. The victim was caught at 4.30 p.m. and was shot at 2.30 a.m. Before his arrest, he telephoned his mother that he had arrived at Sukkur and would reach his home in Larkana district within two hours. This call was traced from his mobile phone.
This is shocking for me that the SSP, first called Edhi Center, a philanthropist organization, and asked them to bury the corpse and the police also put acid on the corpse, which the SSP sought to provide. The volunteers of Edhi Center refused to do so. Then the SSP wrote a letter to Municipal Committee to send workers to bury Bhutto. In the meantime, family members, after listening news on the KTN channel about the killing of Bhutto, rushed to the Panua Aqil, where they stopped the burial and confiscated the bottle of acid.
I was appalled that the act of police to bury Bhutto, as an unidentified man, was ample proof that police wanted to hide their crime of a fake encounter. The victim was from a well-known family of Larkana District and the victim was carrying his national identity card, his driving license, and his mobile phone, but even then police declared him as unidentified.
During a discussion on Radio Voice of Sindh, London, one participant, Mr. Younus Detho, Joint Editor of Awami Awaz, said that as Bhutto reached Sukkur from Multan, the police followed him. After his arrest, Bhutto was tortured by men in uniform and by those in civilian dress as well. At the time of burial, medico-legal examination showed how Bhutto’s one thumb was fractured, and there were several torture marks on his body and indications that shots were from very close range.
When a reporter asked local police of Larkana District, they said the encounter is the outcome of personal enmity. Mr. Detho said that he talked to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the concerned area, and he denied any such encounter in his jurisdiction.
On the Radio Program, Mr. Detho has also mentioned, citing his sources that Bhutto had an affair with a girl from a powerful family of Sukkur, the Shaikh family. The SSP Amjad Sheikh allegedly had a good relationship with the family, which is always close to the government, whether military or civilian.
I, therefore, call upon you to stop the police inquiry in to the case of extra judicial killings of Engineer Waqar Bhutto by showing fake police encounter and immediately appoint the judicial inquiry so that the justice can be given to the bereaved family.
I also urge you to initiate an inquiry in to the powerful group of police officers in Sindh who are conducting extra judicial killings in the name of police encounters and practicing the Half Fry and Full Fry terminology for extra judicially killings. The SSP of Sukku district, Mr. Amjad Shaikh and sub inspector Shoukat Arain, SHO of Dadlu police station, Panu Aqil, must be suspended till the completion of judicial inquiry and if they found guilty then they must be tried on murder charges.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1.Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111, +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
2. Mr. Murad Ali Shah
Chief Minister of Sindh
The Government of Sindh Province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.gov.pk
3. Mr. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Minister
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com, ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Mr. Kamran Michael
Minister For Human Rights
Through Secretary, Ministry of Human Right
ministry of human rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area, Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk,
Islamabad
Tel: 051-9216620,
Fax: 051-9216621,
Email: secretary@mohr.gov.pk
5. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
7. Home minister,
Government of Sindh
Barrack 79, Pakistan Secretariat
Near MPA hostel
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9204456
Tel: +92 21 9201920-1
E-mail: secy.home@sindh.gov.pk
8. Justice Majida Rizvi
Regional Directorate of Human Rights,
Block no. 5, Sindh Secretariat No.4-A, Frere Road, Karachi.
Ph: 92-21-99205835
Fax: 92-21-99205837
Email: justicerazvi@hotmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
