It was on January 26, 2007 that 24-year-old Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik was arrested by the Market Police near the shopping market named Resham Gali in Larkana city, Larkana district, Sindh Province for not possessing a National Identity Card. However, the arrest lead to the shocking incident in which the Station Head Officer of the Market Police with the assistance of several other officers completely severed his penis.
This incident lead to outrage locally as well as internationally. Many interventions have been made on his behalf asking for inquiries as well as assistance.
However, Mr. Malik, instead of getting treatment and inquiries has instead been harassed consistently, pressurizing him to withdraw his complaints. A number of powerful persons including a federal minister have intervened to force him to withdraw the complaint and accept some money for doing so. Mr. Malik and his family have consistently objected to this. At one stage some money amounting to Pakistan Rupees 600,000 (equivalent to US$ 10,000) was forcibly placed in his house which the family refused to accept or use.
Meanwhile Mr. Malik still continues to suffer from bleeding as a result of the injury he has suffered. Adequate medical assistance has not been provided for him to have the wound treated. The embarrassment caused by the incident has not lead to any form of assistance but only to the use of greater pressures to silence him.
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has earlier drawn attention to this case on several occasions. We once again urge the government of Pakistan to take immediate action to provide medical assistance to Mr. Malik. We also call for immediate inquiries into this matter and the prosecution of the perpetrators on an urgent basis. The AHRC understands that the alleged perpetrators continue to work as police officers attached to the Pakistan Police Force. The AHRC also calls for the urgent intervention of the UN Rapporteur against Torture and Cruel and Inhuman Treatment to urge the government to provide the necessary medical assistance and to ensure that justice is done in this case.
