Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Sindhi political and human rights activists remain the target of intelligence agencies of the security establishment. The body of a central leader of the Jeay Sindh Mutehda Mahaz (JSMM), a political group, was found on the roadside, hours after his abduction by ‘unknown persons’ presumed to be from the state intelligence agencies. A Sindhi political activist, a three wheeler driver was abducted and tortured. On his chest the abductors carved the word ‘Pakistan’. Another Sindhi nationalist and human rights activist is missing from November 2013 after his abduction by persons in police uniform. In the continuation of the victimization of Sindhi activists, two persons belonging to the JSMM, were burned alive in their car on the celebration of Pakistan Day. On another occasion three Sindhi activists were killed in fake encounter on Independence Day.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Munir Choliani, the Media Coordinator of the Jeay Sindh Muthida Mahaz (JSMM) was extrajudicial killed on 29 May 2014. He was travelling from his native town Warah, District Larkana, to Sann, District Dadu, Sindh province, with his wife and daughter. Their car was followed by a white-coloured car and after some distance they were stopped on the Indus Highway by the persons traveling in the vehicle. These persons were later identified as being from the intelligence agencies by the victim’s wife. All three were abducted in their own car and later, the wife and daughter were released at a nearby village. The car was abandoned in the Gidrchi Forest, Dadu district and within hours the bullet-riddled body of Munir Choliani was found near Boobak town, District Dadu. Mr. Choliani was completely defenseless as for many years he had been wheelchair-bound as he was paralysed from the waist down.
This was a senseless killing of a man who could offer no defense against his attackers. According to the police officials, Choliani was traveling towards Warah from Hyderabad in his private car when some unidentified people attacked him and killed him by discharging a heavy barrage of gun fire, near Sunn, Dadu district. The dead body of the nationalist leader was found from the Hotak area of Sehwan in the early morning at 6:00 am on May 30. Funeral prayers for Munir Choliani were offered at his native town Warah in Larkana district. A large number of the party workers and leaders and local people attended his funeral.
The word, ‘Pakistan’ was carved on his chest during torture
A young three wheeler driver, Mr. Amin Malano, was abducted by plain clothed persons and was taken in a gray coloured car which bore an official government number plate. He was blindfolded and taken to unknown place where he was kept for three days in illegal detention. After his ordeal he was dumped on the road side and related the details of his ordeal with media persons, please see the link of video.
In this video he narrates his story that he was taken into custody by unknown persons. He was certain, however, that they were from one of the intelligence agencies as they asking about the JSMM and about his affiliation with the organisation. He told his captors that he was not a regular member but a supporter. The captors tortured him by using cigarette butts on all parts of his body, particularly his right hand which bore ten cigarette burns in order to get confirmation that the JSMM obtains money from an enemy country.
On one occasion, as he was thirsty he asked for water and was given acid mixed with water. His tongue was severely injured and began to bleed. The abductors continuously cursed the Sindhi speaking people and said that they are enemies of Pakistan. One night the Punjabi speaking abductors engraved the word ‘Pakistan’ on his chest. They used an electric drill into which they had inserted a knife blade. They urinated on his head on several occasions. They threw him on the road side after deciding that they had no further use for him. A farmer took him to hospital on his motor bike.
Presently he cannot walk properly and his tongue remains swollen. He cannot eat because he was forced to drink the acid water.
A young teacher is missing since November 2013
A young school teacher, Mr Javed Memon (23), a human right activist and member of the JSMM, was abducted by unknown persons on 25 November, 2013 while he was traveling to Hyderabad, Sindh from his native town of Golarchi. He was traveling in a bus along with three friends, Asif Kumbhar, Sajjad Memom and Addal Ghuman, when the bus reached the Hosrhi police station near Zeal Pak, a number of people in police uniform boarded the vehicle near the Zeal Pak cement factory and forced him to accompany them to a waiting police van. They had also forced two other passengers to alight but let them go after identifying Mr. Memon. This is proof that they had come specifically for him. His whereabouts remain unknown.
In the year 2012, he was also kidnapped by the local police of Badin district from his house. He was beaten severely in full view of his family. After some days he was released and he found himself in an unknown place.
His mother and siblings are observing a daily token hunger strike before the press club of Golarchi for his life and safe recovery from the law enforcement agencies. The mother has also written applications to the Prime Minister, the chief minister of Sindh and Chief Justice of Pakistan but as yet has received no reply.
After Balochistan, the intelligence agencies have focused their activities of witch hunting against the Sindhi political and nationalist groups. Due to the establishment of many cantonment areas and the oil and gas resources in Sindh province, the security establishment needs to maintain control over the political power. The disappearances and extrajudicial killings have increased against the political and nationalist groups. In Karachi, the capital of the province, there is an operation under the Pakistan Rangers and the police in which more than 17,000 suspects were arrested. However, not more than 1100 persons were sent to prisons and the whereabouts of the remaining arrested persons are unknown.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
This case is not an isolated one regarding the ongoing extrajudicial executions in Pakistan. The Asian Human Rights Commission has documented a large number of cases on similar pattern of extrajudicial execution. For example, for further details, please see few of our recent documentations: AHRC-UAC-044-2014; AHRC-UAU-024-2013; AHRC-UAC-112-2013; AHRC-UAC-058-2013; AHRC-STM-264-212; and AHRC-FPR-023-2011.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the given authorities calling them to stop the state sponsored witch hunt of Sindhi political and human rights activists and their extrajudicial killings by the intelligence agencies. Please also urge them to initiate a high powered judicial inquiry to stop the security agencies from kidnapping and torturing innocent persons in custody and extrajudicially killing them.
The AHRC is writing separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions and the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ……………..,
PAKISTAN: Sindhi political and human rights activists targeted by intelligence agencies
Name of victims:
1.Mr. Munir Choliani, resident of Warah, District Larkana, Sindh province
2. Mr. Amin Malano, resident of Mehasser colony, Maharh, Sindh province
3. Mr Javed Memon, a human right activist, resident of Golarchi, Sindh province
Names of alleged perpetrators: The State Intelligence Agencies
Date of incident: 29 May 2014, May 20, 2014 and November 2013
Place of incident: Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the abduction, extrajudicial killings and torture of Sindhi political and human rights activists by the unknown persons, presumably from the state intelligence agencies.
It is also disturbing for me that the persons from the security agencies have developed a mindset that Sindhi political activists and nationalists are the enemies of the country and they would be treated like prisoners of war (POWs). This is the reason that such persons have adopted a new method of torture by carving the word ‘Pakistan’ on the chest of the detainee with an electric drill.
I am informed that Mr. Munir Choliani, the Media Coordinator of the Jeay Sindh Muthida Mahaz (JSMM) was extrajudicial killed on 29 May 2014. He was travelling from his native town Warah, District Larkana, to Sann, District Dadu, Sindh province, with his wife and daughter. Their car was followed by a white-coloured car and after some distance they were stopped on the Indus Highway by the persons traveling in the vehicle. These persons were later identified as being from the intelligence agencies by the victim’s wife. All three were abducted in their own car and later, the wife and daughter were released at a nearby village. The car was abandoned in the Gidrchi Forest, Dadu district and within hours the bullet-riddled body of Munir Choliani was found near Boobak town, District Dadu. Mr. Choliani was completely defenseless as for many years he had been wheelchair-bound as he was paralysed from the waist down.
I am appalled at this senseless killing of a man who could offer no defense against his attackers.
According to the police officials, Choliani was traveling towards Warah from Hyderabad in his private car when some unidentified people attacked him and killed him by discharging a heavy barrage of gun fire, near Sunn, Dadu district. The dead body of the nationalist leader was found from the Hotak area of Sehwan in the early morning at 6:00 am on May 30. Funeral prayers for Munir Choliani were offered at his native town Warah in Larkana district. A large number of the party workers and leaders and local people attended his funeral.
The word, ‘Pakistan’ was carved on his chest during torture
A young three wheeler driver, Mr. Amin Malano, was abducted by plain clothed persons and was taken in a gray coloured car which bore an official government number plate. He was blindfolded and taken to unknown place where he was kept for three days in illegal detention. After his ordeal he was dumped on the road side and related the details of his ordeal with media persons.
In a video Amin Malano narrates his story that he was taken into custody by unknown persons. He was certain, however, that they were from one of the intelligence agencies as they asking about the JSMM and about his affiliation with the organisation. He told his captors that he was not a regular member but a supporter. The captors tortured him by using cigarette butts on all parts of his body, particularly his right hand which bore ten cigarette burns in order to get confirmation that the JSMM obtains money from an enemy country.
I am appalled at the cruelty of his abductors. On one occasion, as he was thirsty he asked for water and was given acid mixed with water. His tongue was severely injured and began to bleed. The abductors continuously cursed the Sindhi speaking people and said that they are enemies of Pakistan. One night the Punjabi speaking abductors engraved the word ‘Pakistan’ on his chest. They used an electric drill into which they had inserted a knife blade. They urinated on his head on several occasions. They threw him on the road side after deciding that they had no further use for him. A farmer took him to hospital on his motor bike.
It is reported that at present he cannot walk properly and his tongue remains swollen. He cannot eat because he was forced to drink the acid water.
A young teacher is missing since November 2013
A young school teacher, Mr Javed Memon (23), a human right activist and member of the JSMM, was abducted by unknown persons on 25 November, 2013 while he was traveling to Hyderabad, Sindh from his native town of Golarchi. He was traveling in a bus along with three friends, Asif Kumbhar, Sajjad Memom and Addal Ghuman, when the bus reached the Hosrhi police station near Zeal Pak, a number of people in police uniform boarded the vehicle near the Zeal Pak cement factory and forced him to accompany them to a waiting police van. They had also forced two other passengers to alight but let them go after identifying Mr. Memon. This is proof that they had come specifically for him. His whereabouts remain unknown.
I am informed that in the year 2012, he was also kidnapped by the local police of Badin district from his house. He was beaten severely in full view of his family. After some days he was released and he found himself in an unknown place.
His mother and siblings are observing a daily token hunger strike before the press club of Golarchi for his life and safe recovery from the law enforcement agencies. The mother has also written applications to the Prime Minister, the chief minister of Sindh and Chief Justice of Pakistan but as yet has received no reply.
It is common knowledge that after Balochistan, the intelligence agencies have focused their activities of witch hunting against the Sindhi political and nationalist groups. Due to the establishment of many cantonment areas and the oil and gas resources in Sindh province, the security establishment needs to maintain control over the political power. The disappearances and extrajudicial killings have increased against the political and nationalist groups. In Karachi, the capital of the province, there is an operation under the Pakistan Rangers and the police in which more than 17,000 suspects were arrested. However, not more than 1100 persons were sent to prisons and the whereabouts of the remaining arrested persons are unknown.
I call on you to institute a high level commission of inquiry to investigate the murder of Mr. Munir Choliani, the brutal torture of Mr. Amin Malano and the disappearance of Mr Javed Memon. The state intelligence agencies must be brought to account for their ongoing human rights abuses and the hierarchy of these agencies must be forced to attend court and give testimony on the crimes carried out by their personnel. The disappearances and extrajudicial killings must be brought to a halt now.
I look forward to your urgent intervention in this matter.
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
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk or pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
2. Federal Minister of Law and Human Rights
Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk
3. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
4. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Federal Minister for Interior
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com, ministry.interior@gmail.com
5. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister of Sindh
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
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
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
