Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the extra-judicial killing of 13 men by the authorities in Sahiwal district, Punjab province on 10 February 2008. Police appear to have carried out the murders in the guise of an ‘encounter killing’. Their bodies were immediately buried without autopsies having been done and only one body was released on February 14. As of now there have been no investigations into the killing.
CASE DETAILS:
According to the information received, on 6 February 2008, Mr. Sadiq, Mr. Zulfiqar and Mr. Iftikhar were taken 60 kilometres away from Sahiwal, Punjab province. When their relatives (Mr. Shareef, Mr. Amanat and Mr. Anwar) came to know of the arrest, they approached Sub Inspector (SI) Mr. Liaqat Ali at Kamalia Saddar Police Station for their release. The SI asked them to accompany him to Kassowal for the release of the arrested men. On route, the SI was contacted by the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the District Police Officer (DPO) of Sahiwal district, Mr. Javed Shah. The DPO asked that the three relatives also be brought to Kosowal, where it is alleged that he planned to arrest them. As they reached Lundoo Canal in Toba Tek Singh, 90 km far from Sahiwal district, the Kassowal police intercepted the car, arrested the three and took them to Kassowal Police Station.
The next day, on February 7, Kassowal police officers raided Chak 325-JB in Dullam, three km from Toba Tek Singh, where they arrested Mr. Murtaza, Mr. Ilyas and Mr. Ashraf. They also raided Chak 152-GB in Bhindian, five km from Toba Tek Singh, and arrested Mr. Siddiq. Then, they raided Chak 335-GB, where they arrested Mr. Rafiq, Chak 336-GB in Nia Saraba, where they arrested Sharif and Bashir. They took all of these men to Kassowal city.
However on February 10, SP Shah led a police party plus the 13 men to the farmhouse of Mr. Sardar Najeeb (at Chak 133/9-L), Sahiwal city. Najeeb had allegedly been robbed and attacked at this farmhouse in March 2007, in which one woman was allegedly injured. It is alleged that SP Shah has received help from Najeeb in various ways. The 13 men were shot and killed there in the presence of Najeeb, his companion Mr. Abdul Rahman, his son Mr. Farhan, and Mr. Najeeb’s nephew Mr. Mohsin Khateeb, and other police officers.
On February 11, the authorities and Najeeb reported that on the previous night, 25 robbers stormed Najeeb’s farmhouse, and that these individuals came in a truck and a car. Najeeb stated that, as he had previously been the victim of a gang robbery in March 2007, he had arranged for private security measures. He claimed that before the robbers entered his home, he, his security men, his nephew and Mr. Farhan had taken positions. He further claimed that as the robbers entered the house by scaling the walls, they were fired at by 12 bore shotguns and other firearms. Najeeb stated that 13 robbers were killed and 12 others fled in the truck, leaving the car at the farm.
However, though Najeeb claims that the victims were killed in crossfire, and police allege that pump action and other automatic weapons were found near the dead bodies. However, not a single projectile mark can be found on any wall of the house. Also arousing suspicion is the fact that, according to press reports, the route the robbers supposedly took is too narrow for a truck.
The Sahiwal administration buried the bodies in haste at Mahi Shah Graveyard. The administration and the police have neither allowed post-mortem examination of the bodies nor released them to their relatives in Toba Tek Singh.
Perhaps most baffling is the authorities’ denial that these 13 individuals had been under arrest at the time of their deaths–and the alleged robbery attempt.
The body of Mr. Anwar, a taxi driver, was exhumed and handed over to his family and buried at the grave yard in his home town on February 14. The SP Shah has refused to hand over other dead bodies which were hurriedly buried by the police after the encounter.
Police are now looking for the other 12 robbers that allegedly escaped however, no investigation has been made into the farm house killings.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
There are some groups of gypsies working for building a road or construction or crushing stone in the districts of Kosowal, Toba Tek Singh and Sahiwal. Whenever there is any dacoity or theft, people generally believe that the gypsies, who are also called OADH, are involved in those crimes. The Sahiwal district is notorious for gang robberies.
Five robberies were committed in the district during January 2008. Police and influential people were blaming gypsies for the crimes.
According to the media, SP Shah is very notorious for killing several people in police encounters after their arrest whereever he was posted. When he was serving in Vehari, Multan district, Punjab province as SP, he killed Mr. Riaz Basra in ‘encounter’ after his arrest.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities listed below and urge them to thoroughly investigate the extrajudicial killing on the pretext of ‘encounter killing’.
The AHRC is also writing separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions calling for an immediate intervention in this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN: Thirteen people killed in fake encounter in Sahiwal district
Details of the victims:
1. Mr. Sadiq, residing at Chak 152-GB in Bhindian, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab Province
2. Mr. Zulfiqar, residents of Kassowal, Punjab province
3. Mr. Iftikhar, residents of Kassowal, Punjab province
4. Mr. Amanat, residents of Kassowal, Punjab province
5. Mr. Shareef, residing at Chak 336-GB in Nia Saraba, Sahiwal district, Punjab province
6. Mr. Murtaza, alias Dholli, residing at Chak 325-JB Dullam, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province
7. Mr. Ilyas, residing at Chak 325-JB Dullam, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province
8. Mr. Ashraf, residing at Chak 325-JB Dullam, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province
9. Mr. Siddiq, residing at Chak 152-GB in Bhindian, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province
10. Mr. Rafiq, residing at Chak 335-GB, Punjab province
11. Mr. Anwar, taxi driver, registration number LOH 6172, residing at Chak 335-GB, Toba Tek Singh, Punjab province
12. Mr. Sharif, residing at Chak 336-BG in Niz Saraba, Sahiwal district, Punjab province
13. Mr. Bashir, alias Bagga, residing at Chak 336-GB in Nia Saraba, Sahiwal district, Punjab province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Javed Shah, District Police Officer, and Superintendent of Police Sahiwal District, Punjab province
2. Mr. Liaquat Ali, Sub Inspector, Kamalia Saddr Police Station, Kamalia, Punjab province
3. Mr. Sardar Najeeb, popularly known as Sardar Bilu
4. Mr. Mohsin Khateeb, nephew of Sardar Najeeb, residing at Farm House, Chak No. 133/9-L,
Sahiwal district, Punjab province
5. Mr. Abdul Rehman, Lumberdar, government post
6. Mr. Farhan, son of Lumberdar, residing at Sahiwal district, Punjab province
Date of incident: 10 February 2008
Place of incident: near farm house at Chak 133/9-L, Sahiwal city, Punjab province
I am writing to voice my concern regarding the extrajudicial killing of 13 men in Pakistan’s Sahiwal district on 10 February 2008.
According to the information received, a total of 13 men were arrested over a period of two days, from February 6 to 7 in various locations in and around Sahiwal, Punjab province. The men had been charged with robbery, though at least three were arrested after voluntarily arriving at the police station to inquire about their detained relatives.
Sub Inspector (SI) Liaqat Ali at Kamalia Saddar Police Station took some of the men to Kassowal Police Station, where he was joined by Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Police Officer (DPO) of Sahiwal district, Mr. Javed Shah, and other arrested men from the area.
On February 10, SP Shah led them with a police party to the farmhouse of Sardar Najeeb, located in Chak 133/9-L, Sahiwal city, who had been the victim of a robbery in March 2007. Reports suggest that Najeeb and SP Shah are on friendly terms. The 13 men were shot and killed there in the presence of Najeeb, his companion Mr. Abdul Rahman, his son Mr. Farhan, and Najeeb’s nephew Mr. Mohsin Khateeb, and other police officers.
The next day the authorities and Najeeb stated that on February 10, 25 robbers had stormed Najeeb’s farmhouse, arriving by truck and in a car. Najeeb stated that he, his security men (arranged after the March robbery) and his nephew among others had fired at the robbers as they scaled the walls of the house. They used 12 bore shotguns and other firearms. Najeeb stated that 13 of the robbers were killed, and 12 others fled in the truck, leaving the car at the farm.
However, I have been informed that many claims are contradictory. Not a single projectile mark could be found on any wall of the house where the 13 men were allegedly killed on the pretext of ‘encounter’. In addition, the route that 12 others fled in the truck was too narrow for a truck to pass through. Most importantly, all those killed were arrested either on February 6 or February 7 and had been kept in Kamalia Saddar Police Station before they were killed. After the killings, the Sahiwal administration buried the bodies quickly at Mahi Shah Graveyard, and the bodies neither have been released to family, nor have postmortems been permitted.
I, therefore, urge that thorough and independent investigation into this case must be conducted without delay. The family of the victims should be actively involved in the process of the investigation without any hindrance. Compensation has also to be provided to the families as well. I further urge that those responsible for the murder must be brought before the court if the allegations by the relatives of the victims are proven true through an independent investigation. I finally urge you to take every step within your authority to ensure that ‘encounter killing’ is put an end in Pakistan.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS 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 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. Home secretary
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: home@punjab.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
