Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the murder of a Pakistani human rights defender Ms. Perveen Rehman on 13 March 2013. Since then, the government has failed to conduct an investigation or arrest the murderer/s. A petition about her case is pending in the Supreme Court since July 2013. The police claim to be conducting investigations, which are misdirected and do not generate results. For instance, they have kept the son of the alleged murderer in their custody illegally since September 2015.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On 13 March 2013, internationally renowned architect, planner and social scientist Perveen Rahman was travelling to her home from work in Orangi, Karachi, when unidentified assailants approached her car on motorbike and opened fire. Ms. Rehman received bullet injuries in her neck and passed away. (More information can be found here: AHRC-STM-061-2013and AHRC-FPR-017-2013)
Ms. Rahman was the Director of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) and devoted her life for the development of impoverished neighborhoods in Pakistan. She worked tirelessly to document land in Orangi Town, in order to protect the low-income settlements from the city’s notorious land mafia. In spite of the inherent dangers of working on land issues in Karachi, she remained persistent in her efforts against the growing expansion of land grabbers. She thus became a symbol of resistance and the voice of the marginalized community which had been under threat of eviction.
Initially, the Sindh police stated that Ms. Rehman was assassinated by Deobandi militants of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat (ASWJ), the same militants responsible for the deaths of the four lady anti-polio workers and the attack on Malala Yusufzai. Some days later the police killed one terrorist, Qari Bilal, of the ASWJ, in a police encounter, and claimed that he was the murderer of Ms. Rehman. The murder case was then closed.
Different civil society organisations held a press conference rejecting the police version however, and filed a petition in the Supreme Court in July 2013 for impartial inquiry into Ms. Rehman’s case. For the past three years, the Sindh police have simply been using delaying and misleading tactics to obfuscate their poor investigation.
In March 2015, Sindh police arrested Mr. Puppo Kashmiri from Mansehra, Punjab province and claimed that he was the murderer of Ms. Rehman. In court, Puppo confessed to murdering many people, but not Ms. Rehman. He said he had heard the conversation of an influential land grabber, Rahim Swati, who noted that Ms. Rehman is creating big hurdles in his business and must be eliminated.
Police then conducted raids to find Swati, but could not find him and reported to the court that he has left his place. When the court ordered his arrest, the police took his son in custody in September 2015. Since then he is in illegal detention without being charged or produced in court. Civil society organisations claim this was an arrangement between the Sindh police and the alleged murderer.
During the last hearing of the Supreme Court on 16 March 2016, the police stated that they are conducting raids on Swati’s hideouts, but Swati is out of reach. The Supreme Court rejected this statement and ordered the Sindh Inspector General of Police to conduct the investigation by himself, arrest the alleged murderer, and produce Swati in the next hearing.
This case reveals the total collapse of rule of law in Pakistan, and the failure of its criminal justice system, which gives free rein to the perpetrators. No government, whether previous or incumbent, has shown interest to reform or modernize the criminal justice system. The country’s higher courts, including the Supreme Court, have also failed to make any reforms in the lower courts, or in the system of prosecution. The nexus between police, prosecution and judiciary has created a system where everything except justice is possible.
Perveen Rehman’s killing is a message to human rights defenders that they are not invulnerable, and that anyone who works for the benefit of the underprivileged, does so at their own risk.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Ms. Rehman was a tireless social activist, an architect working for people living in slum areas. She had, however, been receiving death threats for some time. She had more recently been documenting the situation in villages (Goths) around Karachi many centuries old, now virtually under the control of land grabbers, Muslim extremist groups like the Taliban, and the police. The poor people of these areas are deprived of their residential rights and the lands of the Goths have been demarcated in plots and turned into new colonies. Most of the persons affected are indigenous and poor. The land grabbers enjoy the protection of the police and other law enforcement agencies, and if any questions are asked, Muslim extremists come to the rescue justifying anything under the ruse of defending Islam.
The Governor of Sindh, Ishratul Ebad, in a statement to the media had said that “killing a social worker is inhumane.” Such a remark does not mask the failure of providing adequate protection to social workers.
The death of Perveen Rehman, who wanted nothing more than to work for the betterment of communities ignored by the government, is a great loss, not only for her loved ones but for the people that she was trying to help. There is no protection for women who suffer rape and domestic abuse on a daily basis. Similarly, human rights defenders and media personnel who make any effort to expose the truth behind sectarian violence are considered fair game by the militants, and the government does nothing to protect them.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the given addresses calling on them to expedite the impartial investigation into the killing of Perveen Rehman through a joint investigation team consisting of representatives from various law enforcement agencies, so that the real culprit behind her killing can be made public. Please also urge that the police officials involved in obfuscating the case are suspended while the investigation is ongoing, and they must be prosecuted. The government of Pakistan must provide protection and security to human rights defenders so they can carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including physical violence and death threats.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Human Rights Defenders, calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Sindh police mislead court and delay investigation into murder of human rights defender
Name of victim:
Ms. Perveen Rehman, former director of Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), Karachi
Names of alleged perpetrators:
Sindh police
Sindh provincial government
Date of incident: 13 March 2013
Place of incident: Orangi Town, Karachi, Sindh
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the murder of a lady human rights defender, Ms. Perveen Rehman, who was murdered on March 13, 2013. Since then government has failed to conduct an investigation in to her murder and arrest the murderer/s. A petition about her case is pending in the Supreme Court from July 2013 but police, as its usual practices, are bullying the court by saying that they are conducting the investigation and police are raiding the different places for the arrest of main accused.
I felt very sorry about the prevailing position of rule of law, the police have kept the son of the alleged murderer in their custody illegally since September 2015 to dodge the courts that police are making their efforts for the arrest of main accused.
According to the information received by me On 13 March 2013, internationally renowned architect, planner and social scientist Perveen Rahman was travelling to her home from work in Orangi, Karachi, when unidentified assailants approached her car on motorbike and opened fire. Ms. Rehman received bullet injuries in her neck and passed away. (More information can be found here: AHRC-STM-061-2013 and AHRC-FPR-017-2013)
Ms. Rahman was the Director of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) and devoted her life for the development of impoverished neighborhoods in Pakistan. She worked tirelessly to document land in Orangi Town, in order to protect the low-income settlements from the city’s notorious land mafia. In spite of the inherent dangers of working on land issues in Karachi, she remained persistent in her efforts against the growing expansion of land grabbers. She thus became a symbol of resistance and the voice of the marginalized community which had been under threat of eviction.
I know that how police dodge the investigation by playing with blame games. Initially, the Sindh police stated that Ms. Rehman was assassinated by Deobandi militants of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat (ASWJ), the same militants responsible for the deaths of the four lady anti-polio workers and the attack on Malala Yusufzai. Some days later the police killed one terrorist, Qari Bilal, of the ASWJ, in a police encounter, and claimed that he was the murderer of Ms. Rehman. The murder case was then closed.
Different civil society organisations held a press conference rejecting the police version however, and filed a petition in the Supreme Court in July 2013 for impartial inquiry into Ms. Rehman’s case. For the past three years, the Sindh police have simply been using delaying and misleading tactics to obfuscate their poor investigation.
In March 2015, Sindh police arrested Mr. Puppo Kashmiri from Mansehra, Punjab province and claimed that he was the murderer of Ms. Rehman. In court, Puppo confessed to murdering many people, but not Ms. Rehman. He said he had heard the conversation of an influential land grabber, Rahim Swati, who noted that Ms. Rehman is creating big hurdles in his business and must be eliminated.
Police then conducted raids to find Swati, but could not find him and reported to the court that he has left his place. When the court ordered his arrest, the police took his son in custody in September 2015. Since then he is in illegal detention without being charged or produced in court. Civil society organisations claim this was an arrangement between the Sindh police and the alleged murderer.
During the last hearing of the Supreme Court on 16 March 2016, the police stated that they are conducting raids on Swati’s hideouts, but Swati is out of reach. The Supreme Court rejected this statement and ordered the Sindh Inspector General of Police to conduct the investigation by himself, arrest the alleged murderer, and produce Swati in the next hearing.
I am of the firm opinion that this particular case reveals the total collapse of rule of law in Pakistan, and the failure of its criminal justice system, which gives free rein to the perpetrators. No government, whether previous or incumbent, has shown interest to reform or modernize the criminal justice system. The country’s higher courts, including the Supreme Court, have also failed to make any reforms in the lower courts, or in the system of prosecution. The nexus between police, prosecution and judiciary has created a system where everything except justice is possible.
Perveen Rehman’s killing is a message to human rights defenders that they are not invulnerable, and that anyone who works for the benefit of the underprivileged, does so at their own risk.
I, therefore, call upon you to expedite the impartial investigation into the killing of Perveen Rehman through a joint investigation team consisting of representatives from various law enforcement agencies, so that the real culprit behind her killing can be made public. I also urge that the police officials involved in obfuscating the case are suspended while the investigation is ongoing, and they must be prosecuted. The government of Pakistan must provide protection and security to human rights defenders so they can carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including physical violence and death threats.
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. Syed Qaim 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
Federal Minister for Interior
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026+92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com,
ministry.interior@gmail.com
4. Mr. Sohail Anwar Khan Siyal
Minister for Home
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
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
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
7. Justice (Rtd) Majida Razvi
Chairperson, Human Rights Development
Government of Sindh
Barrack number 92 Sindh Secretariat
4. B, opposite to Sindh Assembly Building
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 21 99207042-43
Fax: +92 21 99207044
E-mail: ministerhrd@sindh.gov.pk
8. Mr. A.D. Khawja
Inspector General of Police, Sindh province
Police Head quarter I.I Chundigar road
Karachi-PAKISTAN
Fax-+92-21-99212051
complaints@pprasindh.gov.pk
7. Major General Bilal Akbar
Director General Pakistan Ranjers (Sindh)
Jinnah Courts, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi, Sindh
PAKISTAN
Tel: Helpline No: 1101, +92-21-99261056 (Gulshan-e-Iqbal)
Tel: +92 21 9205285-87 (Head Quarter)
FAX: +92 21 99205284
Email: help@pakistanranjerssindh.org
