Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the refusal of the police to register a complaint and file charges against a provincial minister and his armed men in Punjab province. He allegedly ordered the assault, arrest and detention of six student activists and teachers, two of whom were women, where they were beaten on 2 February 2008 in Lahore City. The city mayor also allegedly defended the minister’s actions by threatening the police they would suffer consequence if they filed charges against him. The activists were holding a demonstration and distributing leaflets to supposedly celebrate the release of one of the leaders of the lawyer’s movement when attacked. The minister and the mayor are close allies of the Musharraf’s government.
CASE DETAILS:
According to details, the lawyers and activists of the civil society had called for a meeting in Nasir Bagh, Lahore City, to celebrate the release of Mr. Aitzaz Ahsan, president of the Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association, after having been detained for three months. The meeting was scheduled for February 2. However, Mr. Aitzaz was re-arrested two days after his release on January 31. (for details, see: AHRC-STM-034-2008)
On February 1, a day before the said meeting, some of the activists were monitoring the arrangements for the scheduled meeting. They also distributed fliers for the said activity. The place where they were holding the activity is about half a kilometer from Branch Number 7 of the Punjab College, a college where provincial minister, Mr. Sohail Afzal, is also working as principal. When Mr. Sohail passed through the area he saw that some students and other activists were distributing leaflets containing messages in favour of lawyer’s movement. Upon seeing this, Mr. Sohail then ordered one of his armed men, Mr. Nadeem Jaffery, who at the time was carrying a firearm, to deal with the said students and activities by force.
Shortly after, Mr. Sohail’s men approached the crowd and started beating Mr. Rahim Haque, a lecturer of Sociology at Punjab University who sustained injuries to his ear. After the assault, the students and other activists, who had witnessed the incident, proceeded to the Muslim town police station in order to lodge a complaint against Mr. Sohail’s men; however, the police refused to register their complain using the excuse that it was very minor incident and that it was not necessary to lodge a police report.
On the day that the scheduled meeting was held, February 2, Mr. Sohail’s once again saw some student activists and teachers at the same place distributing fliers to honor of Mr. Aitzaz. Some activists were standing and distributing fliers about 300 meters far from the Punjab College. Mr. Sohail once again ordered his armed men to attack the crowd and take some of them inside the college building. Those arrested and taken inside the college building were Mr. Shaheryar, Ms. Saeeda Diep and her car driver Ahmed Ali, Mr. Umair Chaudry and Mr. Rahim Haque. The attackers then kicked, punched, and threw them to the floor; their heads were smashed against the walls and some of them had their clothes torn off. Mr. Sohail also instructed his men to kill one of them, Mr. Shaheryar, a student of the Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) University. Mr. Shaheryar had already collapsed at the time because of the assault and Mr. Sohail’s and his staff thought he was dead. Shaheryar suffered injuries to his head. Mr. Rahim suffered a broken nose and injuries to his face and body.
Mr. Sohail also snatched mobile phones, a camera and national identity cards from all the victims. Ms. Saeeda’s purse and the wallets of other victims were also taken.
In the meantime, another student, Mr. Usman Gill, the son of an influential person in Punjab province, had come to intervene on behalf of the activists by trying to enter the room where the victims were being held. However, Mr. Usman was himself beaten. He suffered several injuries to his body and was released only after he identified himself to the police by showing them his identity card. It is distressing to note that although the police did eventually turn up they were too late to prevent the assaults and they quickly took the side of Mr. Sohail without thoroughly investigating the incident. Even though they were then on the scene they failed to take action to prevent Mr. Sohail’s men from continuously beating one of the victims, Ms. Saeeda Diep, the chairperson of the Institute of Peace and Secular Studies. She was beaten and verbally abused Mr. Sohail’s men in the presence of the police. She suffered several injuries to her body. Mr. Sohail was also heard to have called one of the students, Ms. Halima Mansoor, “a prostitute”.
Mr. Shaheryar was then later taken to the emergency of Sheikh Zayed Hospital by the police where he was treated for his injuries. Following the release of the activists they proceeded to the Muslim Town police station in order to once again lodge a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Sohail. However, for the second time the police refused to register their complaint.
After learning of the assaults of the students, the lawyers and civil society activists went to the Punjab College and gathered outside. When they learned that they were no longer there they went to the Muslim Town Police Station. When they arrived at the police station, Lahore City mayor Mian Aamer, also an owner of school chain was present. Mayor Mian allegedly used his influence and threatened the police that they would face dire consequences if they registered the complaint and filed charges against the minister, Mr. Sohail.
Although Rana Mansoorul Haq, the Muslim Town Superintendent of Police, told the victims and those protesting against the action by Mr. Sohail that they would file charges but the two other policemen, namely Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. Rana Azeem and Station House officer (SHO), still refused to register the complaint and to subsequent filed charges. To-date the police have not registered any complaint or filed charges against Mr. Sohail and his men.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities below for them to intervene into taking the appropriate action against Mr. Sohail Afzal, provincial minister, and his men, for the assault and subsequent brief detention of the victims. Charges must be filed against him without further delay. The policemen who had refused in registering the victim’s complaint and of subsequently filing charges against those involved should be also investigated. They must also be held to account for their inaction.
The AHRC writes letters to the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Question of Torture calling for an immediate intervention in this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
PAKISTAN: Police refuse to file charges against a provincial minister and his men who severely assaulted and briefly detained activists
Name of the victims:
1. Mr. Rahim Haque, sociology instructor at the Punjab University, Lahore; assaulted on February 1
2. Mr. Umair Chaudry, a teaching assistant at Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) University, Lahore
3. Mr. Sheriyar, a software engineer, FAST University
4. Ms. Saeeda Diep, from the Institute of Peace and Secular, Studies, Lahore
5. Ms. Halima Mansoor, a student of Punjab College, Lahore
6. Ahmed Ali, car driver of Ms. Saeeda
7. Mr. Usman Gill, a student
Name of the alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Sohail Afzal, minister for care taker government for the special education of the Government of Punjab province, Lahore City
2. Mr. Nadeem Jaffery, chief armed guard of Mr. Sohail
3. Mr. Rana Mansoorul Haque, Superintendent of the police, Muslim Town Police, Lahore
4. Mr. Rana Azeem, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Muslim Town
5. Station Head Officer, Muslim Town police station, Lahore
Date and place of incident: beaten on the street half a kilometer from Branch Number 7 of the Punjab College on February 1; beaten on the street 300 meters far from the Punjab College and taken to a college building on February 2, 2008
I am writing regarding the case of six students activists and teachers whom Mr. Sohail Afzal, provincial minister, had allegedly ordered to be assaulted, arrested and briefly detained by his men on 2 February 2008 in Nasir Bagh, Lahore. It was after he had seen the victims holding activities and distributing leaflets containing messages to supposedly to celebrate the release of Mr. Aitzaz Ahson, president of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association. Mr. Aitzaz, however, was re-arrested two days later after he was release on January 31.
I have learned that on February 1, a day before the supposed activity is held; Mr. Sohail, as he was passing through a crowd of activists, had allegedly ordered his men, one of whom was identified as Mr. Nadeem Jaffery, to assault those distributing leaflets supporting for the lawyers’ movement. Shortly after approaching the crowd, Mr. Nadeem and his men attacked them and began severely beating them. One of those injured was Mr. Rahim Haque. He has suffered injuries to his ear. Mr. Rahim was accompanied by his colleagues going to the Muslim Town Police purposely to report the incident and file a complaint. However, the police refused to register the complaint and that they were told there is no need of registering a police report since it was a minor incident.
The following day, February 2, as Mr. Sohail was passing through again at the same place, once again he had seen a crowd of student activist and teachers were distributing leaflets in the same place. The place is located few meters away from Punjab College where Mr. Sohail is also working there as principal. It was also on the same day that the scheduled meeting to supposedly celebrate the release of Mr. Aitzaz. Upon seeing this again, Mr. Sohail instructed his men to assault, arrest and subsequently take those distributing leaflet towards a room inside the Punjab College’s premises. Those gathering from the crowd, namely Mr. Shaheryar, Ms. Saeeda Diep and Mr. Rahim Haque, were taken inside the room where they were severely beaten and briefly held.
While inside the room, they had the victims severely kicked, punched, threw them onto the floor, had their heads pushed to walls and tear their clothes off. Mr. Sohail likewise instructed his men to kill of them, Mr. Shaheryar. However, after some time Mr. Shaheryar, collapsed due to severity of the assault on him. They thought he was already dead. Apart from assaulting them, Mr. Sohail and his men had also verbally abused two female victims, Ms. Saeeda Diep and her companion Ms. Halima Mansoor, and labeled the latter as “a prostitute”. All of the victims suffered injuries to different parts of their bodies.
I have learned that when the police from the same police station came; not only the timing of their arrival was too late they also immediately sided with Mr. Sohail instead of conducting their investigation adequately. They, too, did not take any action to prevent Mr. Sohail and his men from continuously assaulting one of the victims, Ms. Saeeda Diep and verbally abusing her and another female victim. Though the police have taken Mr. Shaheryar to hospital for treatment, I am extremely disappointed and shocked by the manner the police handle this case.
I have learned that when the victims, following their release from Mr. Sohail’s custody, reported the incident to the same police station they refused to take complaint and to register First Information Report (FIR). I am aware that it was the second time wherein the police had refused to register the complaints of the complainants against Mr. Sohail. I have also learned that Mr. Mian Aamer, mayor of the Lahore City, had also appeared before the police station putting pressure on the latter and threatening them that they would face a dire consequence should they accept the victims’ complaint or files charges against the provincial minister, Mr. Sohail. To date, the victims’ complaints have not been registered and no charges have been filed against Mr. Sohail and his men involved.
The actions taken by Mr. Sohail, as a minister for education in caretaker government, and for having armed escorts with him and using them against the activists’ peacefully holding their activities for the promotion of the country’s rule of law and supremacy of the judiciary, is completely disappointing. As a principal and minister for education resorting to violence demonstrates a poor quality of education and worst example students could have. Mr. Sohail’s behavior, for espousing violence, is contradictory the position he hold.
I therefore urge you to use your authority to ensure that complaints are acted upon and charges are filed against Mr. Sohail and his men. The policemen involved in refusing to or failing to take action on this should also be account. I am aware that the Mr. Sohail and Mayor Mian have used their influence, as close allies of the Musharraf’s government, in getting away with any accountability from this incident. To deny these victims any remedies from the police and authorities concerned is completely unacceptable. It is disappointing that a government official and his men involved in committing illegal acts yet the police condone this.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
E-mail: (please see – http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights
S Block
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk
3. Federal Minister of Interior
Room#404, 4th Floor, R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Tel: +92 51 9212026
E-mail: minister@interior.gov.pk
4. Lt. General Khalid Maqbool
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Mall Road, Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 9200023
E-mail: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk
5. Secretary of Law and Parliamentary affairs
Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Ravi Road
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: law@punjab.gov.pk
6. Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 7324489
E-mail chiefsecy@punjab.gov.pk
7. Mr. Khusro Pervez
Home secretary
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: home@punjab.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
