Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a person was abducted by the Taliban on suspicion of working for NGOs. After his escape he was then abducted by the military on suspicion of working for the Taliban. Mr. Hameed Ullah Khan, a human rights defender and social worker, was abducted by the Taliban from Swat, Malakand agency, Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa province, in May 2009. After two months of captivity he and another abducted person managed to escape. But again, when a military operation against the Taliban started in Swat in October 2009 he was abducted by the military forces that were stationed in Swat, on the charges of working for Taliban. Since then his whereabouts are unknown.
Hameed’s house has been demolished during a military operation and his family has been displaced. The victim’s two sons are also wanted by the military officers in exchange for the release of the victim. Ironically, it is also reported that military officers who are stationed in the area are working on information provided by the local Taliban network.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Hameedullah, son of Mohib Ullah, resident of Bazdara Payan, Swat, Malakand agency, Khuber Paktoon Khwa province, was one of many innocent persons residing in the Swat region who were made victims by the Taliban when they were enforcing Shariah and then by the military officials who started their operation against the militancy of the Taliban in the third quarter of 2009. Still there are hundreds of missing persons from the same region of Malakand agency under which Swat comes. In some parts still the Taliban are controlling the area and the army avoids entering there. During the military operations human rights organizations have reported about the mass graves.
According to the reports, Mr. Hameedullah, a human rights defender and president of the Shaheen Welfare organization was abducted by the unknown persons from the main road, linking his village with the Swat valley, on 26 May 2009 while he was on his motor bike. His family members tried to file an FIR but because of the demolition of the police post in his village it was difficult to d this. His son, Mr. Rafi Ullah, filed a report in the Chille police station, Malakand, against six persons with home his family has previously dispute. But after some days the family received threatening calls from unknown persons demanding ransom for the release of Hameed. The family got some clue that the abductees belong to Taliban and they tried to file an FIR against the Taliban and its area commander but police refuse to accept it. Rafi Ullah, the victim’s son, filed the applications to the District Coordination Officer (DCO), the former deputy commissioner, former Nazim (Mayor) of Malakand and police stations of Chille, Durgai, but no one has acted on the application. He also mentioned the telephone numbers through which the victim’s family was receiving threatening calls for the payments of the ransom.
On 24 July, Hameed Ullah had managed to escape with another abductee from the captivity of the Taliban. He was kept in another agency, the Bajour agency, of the Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa (KPK) province. After his escape he confirmed that he had been in the captivity of the Taliban who accused him and his sons of working for NGOs who are getting foreign money to corrupt the local people.It is to be mentioned here that federally administered tribal areas are referred to an agency. He remained in hiding from the Taliban till the military operation started on 2 October 2009.
On 3 October the soldiers came to his house and searched for the arms and ammunition and found two local made rifles. The military officials were also suspicious about the sewerage pipes lying on the roof top of his single storied small house and termed them as the barrels for artillery. The soldiers boarded him in military truck along with some other persons. After his arrest the family members visited area military posts and officers who have confirmed his presence in the military custody on several occasions but asked them to hand over his two sons namely, Rafi Ullah and Rizwan Ullah, in exchange of release of their father. The military officials are accusing them of having links with Taliban.
The eldest son of the victim, Mr. Rafi Ullah is the student of M. A. Social Work and the younger one, Mr. Rizwan Ullah was a student of M.S. Electicial Engineering. Rafi Ullah was also a prominent activist and was working with National Rural Support Program (NRSP) and Malakand Support Program to uplift his village for lying down the Sewerage system and vocational institution. He also worked with Pakistan Dairy Development Corporation for providing hygienic milk to the villagers under the banner of Shaheen Falahi Tanzeem (Shaheen Welfare Organisation). The Taliban were blaming him as the NGO man working for foreign agencies.
The house of Hameed Ullah was also demolished after military operation as the hide out of Taliban. The military also claim that both of his sons are the Taliban activists. The family members of him have left the agency and are residing in different places to hide themselves from both, Taliban and Military.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the authorities about the illegal arrest and disappearance of Mr. Hameed Ullah during the military operation in 2009 in Swat region. Please urge them recover him from the custody of area military command and rehabilitate his family to their ancestor’s place and with draw all the charges against his two sons of being the activists of the Taliban. Please also ask them to initiate an enquiry that during military operation how many people were arrested and disappeared by providing wrong information to the military.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance and the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Human rights defender first abducted by Taliban on charge of working for NGOs and then by the military for supporting the Taliban remains missing
Name of victims:
1. Mr. Hameed Ullah son of Mohib Ullah
2. Mr. Rafi Ullah, son of Hameed Ullah
3. Mr. Rizwan Ullah son of Hameed Ullah
All three of them are resident of Bazdara Payan, Swat, Malakand agency, Khuber Paktoon Khwa province
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Taliban
2. Security agencies stationed at Malakand agency
Date of incidents: 26 May and 3 October 2009
Place of incident: Swat, Malakand agency, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa province, Pakistan
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding Mr. Hameedullah the son of Mohib Ullah, resident of Bazdara Payan, Swat, Malakand agency, Khuber Paktoon Khwa province, was one of many innocent persons residing in the Swat region who were made victims by the Taliban when they were enforcing Shariah and then by the military officials who started their operation against the militancy of the Taliban in the third quarter of 2009. Still there are hundreds of missing persons from the same region of Malakand agency under which Swat comes. In some parts still the Taliban are controlling the area and the army avoids entering there. During the military operations human rights organizations have reported about the mass graves.
I am shocked to learn that when a military operation against the terrorists was started in October 2009 Hameed Ullah was taken in to custody by the military officials, stationed at swat, on charges of having connections with Taliban. Ironically, it has been learnt that the military was acting on information supplied by the Taliban itself. Since then he is missing and his whereabouts are unknown.
According to the reports, Mr. Hameed Ullah, a human rights defender and president of the Shaheen Welfare organization was abducted by the unknown persons from the main road, linking his village with the Swat valley, on May 26, 2009 while he was on his motor bike. His family members tried to file an FIR but because of the demolition of the police post in his village it was difficult to d this. His son, Mr. Rafi Ullah, filed a report in the Chille police station, Malakand, against six persons with home his family has previously dispute. But after some days the family received threatening calls asking from unknown persons for ransom for the release of Hameed Ullah. The family got some clue that the abductees belong to Taliban and they tried to file an FIR against the Taliban and its area commander but police refuse to accept it. Rafi Ullah, the victim’s son, filed the applications to the District Coordination Officer (DCO), the former deputy commissioner, former Nazim (Mayor) of Malakind and police stations of Chille, Durgai, but no one has acted on the application. He also mentioned the telephone numbers through which the victim’s family was receiving threatening calls for the payments of the ransom.
On 24 July Hameed Ullah had managed to escape with another abductee from the captivity of the Taliban. He was kept in another agency, the Bajour agency, of the Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa (KPK) province. It is to be mentioned here that federally administered tribal areas are referred to an agency. He remained in hiding from the Taliban till the military operation started on 2 October 2009.
On 3 October the soldiers came to his house and searched for the arms and ammunition and found two local made rifles. The military officials were also suspicious about the sewerage pipes lying on the roof top of his single storied small house and termed them as the barrels for artillery. The soldiers boarded him in military truck along with some other persons. After his arrest the family members visited area military posts and officers who have confirmed his presence in the military custody on several occasions but asked them to hand over his two sons namely, Rafi Ullah and Rizwan Ullah, in exchange of release of their father. The military officials are accusing them of having links with Taliban.
The eldest son of the victim, Mr. Rafi Ullah is the student of M. A. Social Work and the younger one, Mr. Rizwan Ullah was a student of M.S. Electicial Engineering. Rafi Ullah was also a prominent activist and was working with National Rural Support Program (NRSP) and Malakand Support Program to uplift his village for lying down the Sewerage system and vocational institution. He also worked with Pakistan Dairy Development Corporation for providing hygienic milk to the villagers under the banner of Shaheen Falahi Tanzeem (Shaheen Welfare Organisation). The Taliban were blaming him as the NGO man working for foreign agencies.
The house of Hameed Ullah was also demolished after military operation as the hide out of Taliban. The military also claim that both of his sons are the Taliban activists. The family members of him have left the agency and are residing in different places to hide themselves from both, Taliban and Military.
Cases of forced disappearances continue to occur in Pakistan regardless of the actions of the courts and governments. The police refuse to take action as they live in fear of the military and intelligence agencies and it is because of the this that the families of the victims have no one to turn to for assistance and redress.
I am appalled that the security agencies continue to rely on hearsay information rather than carrying out their duty by conducted proper investigations. The victim and his family were happy to see the military operation against the militants but for them it has proved a nightmare. With the military on the one hand and the Taliban on the other they believe that they are stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.
I urge you to please recover Hameed Ullah from the custody of the area military command and call for an investigation to be conducted into the ongoing reluctance of the police to file FIRs in relation to cases of forced disappearances. Those officers found to be neglecting their duty must subjected to disciplinary action.
Please also rehabilitate his family to their ancestral village and withdraw all the charges against his two sons of being the activists of the Taliban. Please also initiate an enquiry into the number of people arrested and disappeared during the military operation and on the strength of questionable or even wrong information.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9221596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3.Mr. Raza Rabbani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
4. Mr. Amir Haider Khan
Chief Minister
Government of North West Frontier Province
Peshawar
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 91 9210707
5. Mr. Basheer Ahmed Bilor
Senior minister
Government of North West Frontier Province
Peshawar
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 91 921 2533
6. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
