PAKISTAN: New wave of disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Sindh villages after blasts at Rangers’ check posts

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear ___________,

PAKISTAN: New wave of disappearances and arbitrary arrests in many villages of Sindh after blasts at Rangers’ check posts

Name of victim:
1.Mr. Bashir Khan Cholani, resident of Warah, district Larkana, Sindh
2. Mr. Azad Jarwar, resident of Dokri, Sindh
3. Mr. Hafeez Hakro, 
4. Mr. Khalique Hakrro, 
5. Mr. Aamir Soho of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz
6. Mr. Altaf Soomro

Names of alleged perpetrators: Law Enforcement Agencies including the Pakistan Rangers

Date of incident: July 30 and 31, 2016
Place of incident: Warah, Dokri, Larkana, Shahdadkot, Qamber of Sindh province

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the crack down on Sindh nationalists for holding protests against the killings of Hindus, state-backed religious extremists, anti-Sindh plans, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Dozens of Sindh nationalists were arrested after two blasts near the Rangers’ check post-the whereabouts of arrested persons are unknown. In many districts of interior Sindh, law enforcement agencies particularly the Pakistan Rangers, imposed a curfew and searched houses using force. Both women and children were man-handled, abusive language was used up to the point of calling their men Anti-State elements.

According to the Indus Tribune that several houses of nationalist activists were bulldozed in a current operation.

I received information that during the nights of July 30 and 31, houses of several activists namely Jeay Sindh Mutehida Mahaz (JSMM) and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) were raided. Dozens of innocent Sindhis, inhabitants of Sindh province, were apprehended by Pakistani Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) led by the Pakistan Rangers. There is strong protest throughout Sindh against state-backed religious extremists, anti-Sindh plans, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and plunder of national resources by the State.

According to reports, heavy ISI, Rangers and Police contingents imposed a curfew in different towns of Qambar, Shahdadkot, Dokri, Warah and Larkano Districts.

Houses of slain JSMM leaders Barkat Chandio, Rooplo Cholyani, Munir Khan Cholyani, Maqsood Khan Cholyani were raided. They had been arrested, disappeared and killed extra judicially while their bullet-riddled bodies, bearing torture marks, were dumped by the roadside of their villages. Basheer Khan Cholyani brother of slain Muneer Khan Cholyani was apprehended from Warah with several others from the Cholyami tribe belongs to Warah.

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-083-2014/?searchterm=extra%20judicial%20killings%20in%20Sindh

http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-024-2012/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed

An operation by law enforcement agencies (LEW) was initiated after two bombs went off in the Larkana District near check points of the Pakistan Rangers. One Ranger was killed while five others were injured. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Abdullah Shaikh, confirmed that 15 suspects were picked up by Rangers in joint raids. Police teams carried out separate raids in the cities of Wara and Larkana. 

According to the daily Dawn, the DIG also confirmed that a political worker, currently in Larkana central prison, was being interrogated in connection with the bomb attack.

The house of JSMM leader Mr. Azad Jarwar was raided in Dokri and his father Ubedullah Jarwar was picked up. Houses of former JSMM leaders Hafeez Hakro, Khalique Hakrro, JSQM leader Aamir Soho, Altaf Soomro were raided in Qambar and Shahdadkot. Media was banned from coverage with the numbers of abducted and apprehended people still unknown. According to reports, the LEA tortured women and children, apprehending both old and young. The number of Enforced Disappearances and missing persons rises as the crackdown on Sindhi political activists continues. 

Pakistani state forces are continuously raiding the villages and towns in the Larkana and Qambar districts, sabotaging public properties and apprehending Sindhi political activists. ‪ JSQM’s ‪Suhail Memon with several others, were abducted from Bakrani & Moen Jo Daro, both areas of Sindh.

According to reports, heavy contingents of ‪‎Rangers and ‪LEAs raided houses in the towns of Bakrani and Moen Jo Daro Dokri. A key leader of the secular Sindhi nationalist political organization JSQM, Mr. Suhail Memon with several other civilians was apprehended from Bakrani.

Family members fear that the arrested persons will be tortured to confess engineering the blasts and then killed during detention. The police refuse to file first information reports (FIRs) as persons from the Rangers were involved who cannot file reports. Family members were not allowed to meet the arrested activists nor are their whereabouts known since their arrest.

Because of the absence of a proper criminal justice system for the investigation of explosions and other terrorist activities, law enforcement agencies engage in the following: brutal forms of arrest, disappearances, torture in detention and extra-judicial killings. It is the easiest way to solve cases. 

I, therefore, urge upon you to produce before the courts, the arrested suspects of the bomb blast from Warah, Larkana, Qamber, Shahdadkot, Dokri districts. This is to alleviate keeping them in detention centers and unknown places of torture. 

I also urge you to initiate inquiry into the arbitrary arrests and disappearances. Compensation must be paid for the destruction of houses and medical treatment for the injured women and children who were manhandled by the law enforcement agencies.

Family members fear that the arrested persons will be tortured to confess to the blasts and later killed during detention. Police must be asked to file first information reports (FIRs), while allowing the family to meet with the arrested activists. Their whereabouts must be made public.

The government needs to overhaul the criminal justice system and modernize it. In the absence of a proper criminal justice system such incidents of arbitrary arrests and disappearances will continue. 

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: pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk, Email: info@pmo.gov.pk

2.Mr. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Federal Minister for Interior
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com,
ministry.interior@gmail.com

3.Mr. Zahid Hamid
Federal Minister for Human Rights 
Ministry of Human Rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area, 
Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk, Islamabad
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk

4. Mr. Syed Murad 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

5. Home minister,
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

6. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk

7. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk

8. Mr. Kamran Michael
Minister For Human Rights 
Through Secretary, Ministry of Human Right
ministry of human rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area, Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk, 
Islamabad 
Tel: 051-9216620, 
Fax: 051-9216621,
Email: secretary@mohr.gov.pk

9. Justice Majida Rizvi
Regional Directorate of Human Rights, 
Block no. 5, Sindh Secretariat No.4-A, Frere Road, Karachi.
Ph: 92-21-99205835 
Fax: 92-21-99205837
Email: justicerazvi@hotmail.com

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)