Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a couple who belong to different religious sects and who chose to marry freely are currently in hiding due to threats on their lives. The grooms immediate family (his mother, father, sister and two brothers) were arrested on false charges, yet after the two women were released from custody they were abducted outside the courts and allegedly driven away in a police van. Their whereabouts are unknown, and the grooms father and two brothers remain in prison. The case strongly indicates collusion between the bride’s family, a provincial minister, and high ranking police, and the AHRC is extremely concerned for the wellbeing of those missing, arrested and in hiding.
CASE DETAILS: (According to a local NGO and other related sources)
According to Press for Peace, a local NGO in Muzaffarabad, Miss Firdous Shaheen, 22, who is a Shiite and belongs to a wealthy and influential family in Muzaffarabad, married Mr. Zamir Lone, 26, who is Sunni, in April 2009 without her parents knowledge. It should be noted that the lower plate of Muzaffarabad is predominately comprised of Shiites.
Shaheens family were reportedly very angry about the match, and her father Mr. Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari tried and failed to engage the support of Shiite neighbours in the sectarian affair. In response Shaheen recorded a confessional statement on 13 June (under section 164 of the criminal procedure code) before the civil court of Muzaffarabad, to say that she had willingly married Mr. Zamir Lone.
After this she left her fathers house and requested them not to follow or find her. Mr. Bukhari went to the police and lodged a First Information Report (FIR: an official document for further legal proceedings) against the groom and the grooms family claiming that they abducted his daughter. The groom’s father Bashir Lone, mother Rashida Lone, sister Rubina and two brothers Farooq and Mubsher were accused in the report, lodged on 14 June at Muzaffarabad police station.
According to our sources Mr. Bukhari also went to see Mr. Sabir Naqvi, superintendent of the Muzaffarabad commissioner’s office, and Mr. Murtaza Gilliani, the provincial minister of Azad Kashmir, about this case. On the same day, June 14, Mr. Sabir Naqvi reportedly threatened the groom’s father, claiming that if Shaheen didn’t appear in 24 hours the whole family would be arrested. Later that day police raided the house of Zamir Lone, the groom, and arrested his father and two brothers. On June 29 his mother and sister, who had been in hiding, were detained. The mother and sister were granted bail before arrest, but the court denied Mr. Bashir and his two sons bail.
However according to witnesses, when Rashida and Rubina left the court on 29 June they were approached by officers and told to get into a nearby police van, in which Mr. Bukhari, the bride’s father, was waiting. The van drove away and the whereabouts of the two women are unknown.
It has also been reported that the superintendent Naqvi, and the minister, Gilliani, have since started to threaten the groom’ s eldest sister Ruheena who lives in London, in a bid to locate the hiding couple. They have told her that should Shaheen not be produced before her father, then her mother and sister will be killed. They have reportedly promised the release of all family members, from prison and from the unknown location, should Shaheen be given up. The case strongly indicates that the bride’s family have used their political connections to influence the police and achieve the imprisonment and illegal abduction of their in-laws.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities concerned requesting that they immediately investigate the whereabouts of the missing women and secure their safe release, and conduct a thorough review of the charges against Bashir Lone, Farooq Lone and Mubsher Lone. The suspected police involvement in the abduction of the two women, and the station’s connection with Mr. Bukhari and Mr. Murtaza Gilliani, the provincial minister of Azad Kashmir, must be thoroughly investigated for evidence of misconduct and rights violations.
The AHRC has written to the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances asking for its intervention into this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN/KASHMIR: Two women are abducted and three others are arrested as a result of a love marriage
Name of victim:
1. Mr. Bashir Lone, father of the groom, Mr. Zamir Lone, detained in City police station, Muzzarafabad
2. Mrs Rashida, the mother of Zamir Lone, missing
3. Miss Rubina Lone, the sister of Zamir Lone, missing
4. Mr. Farooq Lone, the brother of the groom, detained in City police station, Muzzarafabad
5. Mr. Mubsher Lone, the brother of the groom, detained in City police station, Muzzarafabad
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1.Mr. Syed Husain Shah Bukhari, father of Miss Firdous Shaheen, the bride, resident of Lower Plate, near Madni Masjid, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir
2. Mr. Murtaza Gillani, Provincial Minister of Azad Kashmir
3. Sabir Naqvi, Superintendent of the commissioner office at Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir
Date of incident: 29 June 2009
Place of incident: Muzaffarabad
I am writing to voice my deep concern for the welfare of two women who were illegally abducted on the 29 June in Muzaffarabad, allegedly with the assistance of police, and of three men who were arbitrarily arrested and remain in prison.
According to information I have received Miss Firdous Shaheen, 22, who is a Shiite and belongs to a wealthy and influential family in Muzaffarabad, married Mr. Zamir Lone, 26, who is Sunni, in April 2009 without her parents knowledge. It should be noted that the lower plate of Muzaffarabad is predominately comprised of Shiites.
Shaheens family were reportedly very angry about the match, and her father Mr. Syed Hussain Shah Bukhari tried and failed to engage the support of Shiite neighbours in the sectarian affair. In response Shaheen recorded a confessional statement on 13 June (under section 164 of the criminal procedure code) before the civil court of Muzaffarabad, to say that she had willingly married Mr. Zamir Lone.
After this she left her fathers house and requested them not to follow or find her. Mr. Bukhari went to the police and lodged a First Information Report (FIR: an official document for further legal proceedings) against the groom and the grooms family claiming that they abducted his daughter. The groom’s father Bashir Lone, mother Rashida Lone, sister Rubina and two brothers Farooq and Mubsher were accused in the report, lodged on 14 June at Muzaffarabad police station.
According to our sources Mr. Bukhari also went to see Mr. Sabir Naqvi, superintendent of the Muzaffarabad commissioner’s office, and Mr. Murtaza Gilliani, the provincial minister of Azad Kashmir, about this case. On the same day, June 14, Mr. Sabir Naqvi reportedly threatened the groom’s father, claiming that if Shaheen didn’t appear in 24 hours the whole family would be arrested. Later that day police raided the house of Zamir Lone, the groom, and arrested his father and two brothers. On June 29 his mother and sister, who had been in hiding, were detained. The mother and sister were granted bail before arrest, but the court denied Mr. Bashir and his two sons bail.
However according to witnesses, when Rashida and Rubina left the court on 29 June they were approached by officers and told to get into a nearby police van, in which Mr. Bukhari, the bride’s father, was waiting. The van drove away and the whereabouts of the two women are unknown.
It has also been reported that superintendent Naqvi, and the minister, Gilliani, have since started to threaten the groom’ s eldest sister Ruheena who lives in London, in a bid to locate the hiding couple. They have told her that should Shaheen not be produced before her father, then her mother and sister will be killed. They have reportedly promised the release of all family members, from prison and from the unknown location, should Shaheen be given up. The case strongly indicates that the bride’s family have used their connections to influence the police and achieve the imprisonment and illegal abduction of their in-laws.
The case indicates the extreme abuse of power by government officials, and the collusion that regularly occurs between such officials, powerful community members, and the police. It has become increasingly common for love marriage to take on this type of reprisal. The AHRC is extremely concerned for the wellbeing of those missing, arrested and in hiding.
I demand that you immediately launch an investigation into the whereabouts of the missing women and secure their safe release, and conduct a thorough review of the charges against Bashir Lone, Farooq Lone and Mubsher Lone. The suspected police involvement in the abduction of the two women, and the station’s connection with Mr. Bukhari and Mr. Murtaza Gilliani, the provincial minister of Azad Kashmir, must be thoroughly investigated for evidence of misconduct and rights violations.
The AHRC has written to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for their urgent intervention into this case.
I look forward to your action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
E-mail: (please see and post your appeal in the website – http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx) Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani
Prime minister of Pakistan
C/o Mr. Zafar Mahmood
Cabinet Secretary
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51-9213562
Fax: +92 51-9201357
Email: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3. Mr.Naeem Khan
Secretary
Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Email: secretary@moka.gov.pk
4. Mr. A Rehman Malik
Minister for Interior
R Block Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
E-mail: ministry.interior@gmail.com or interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
5. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Register
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)
