Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from Jacobabad, Sindh Province, of police having abducted four women amidst a dispute between the Qambrani and Thaheem tribes that has taken a violent turn. The tribes are clashing over land belonging to a weaker third tribe, the Saidan. In the tribal fight four persons have been killed. In response, the police have filed cases against 17 persons including 11 women, all belonging to the Saidan tribe. The police are blackmailing the victims, demanding huge bribes for the release of the women. The police, in collusion with the influential Thaheem tribe, are pressurizing Saidan tribesmen to sell their property to the Thaheem. The police have kept all those arrested, including the women, at an unknown location and are not divulging details despite repeated request from the families.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On October 15, armed men from two tribes of Sindh Province, the Qambrani and Thaheem tribes, archrivals that have been feuding for generations, took their positions against each other, in trenches. In the fight that ensued, four people were killed, one injured. The clash started early morning with one group opening fire on the other. According to the police report, among the deceased, are an individual from the Qambrani tribe and three were from Thaheem tribe.
Tension prevails in the area and heavy police reinforcement has been called out from other districts to control the situation. A police report (FIR) had been filed by the Thaheem tribe, against 17 members of the Qambrani and Saidan tribes, of which 11 are women. The police picked up all those named, without investigation, and detained them at an undisclosed location.
The bloody clash began on a dispute, involving the sale of 25 acres of land to the Qambrani tribe by the Saidan tribe. The Thaheem tribe has claimed that the land should have been sold to them as they have first priority in the area.
Four years ago, Mr. Sayed Razzaq Shah of the Saidan tribe sold his property to Wahlo, who belongs to the Qambrani tribe. The said property is located in the neighborhood of the Thaheem tribe, in the jurisdiction of Maula Dad Police Station in Village Haji Thaeem Khan Goth, Jacobabad, Sindh Province.
Under the custom of easement, still prevalent in rural areas of Pakistan, the owner of the property is obligated to first offer to sell the property to his neighbor. Razzaq, exercising his right to sell the property, decided to sell the property to a member of Qambrani tribe. The Qambrani and Thaheem tribes are archrivals and have been feuding for generations.
Unknown to Razzaq, his cousin and co-owner of the property, Mr. Rajan Shah had promised to sell the property to a member of Thaheem tribe sometime ago. This caused a feud between the tribes, as the Thaheem tribe wanted to retain their dominance in the neighborhood. A jirga was eventually called to settle the matter, whereby it was decided that the contentious property must be sold to the Thaheem. Razzaq refused to comply, while his cousin agreed with the verdict.
The rift between the co-owners went on for some time; it took a turn this year when Rajan Shah asked the Thaheem tribe to take over the property. As the Qambrani tribe had already made part payment for the property, they claimed ownership of the land. This resulted in a heated exchange of words between members of the tribes, which further escalated into exchange of gunfire.
The women of the Saidan and Qambrani tribe had been nominated to put pressure on the male members to sell the property, as the Thaheem have political clout in the area and are well connected with ruling political party. For instance, the police have refused to file a complaints made by members of the Qambrani and Saidan tribes against members of the Thaheem tribe.
On October 15, the police raised to the ground homes belonging to the Saidan tribe. As many as 10 houses were raised, using cranes.
According to a victim, Razzaq Shah, a senior police officer posted at Maula Dad Police Station has asked Saidan tribe to pay Pakistan Rupees one million for the release of their women folk.
Razzaq also claims that the police are pressurizing him to sell-off the property to Thaheem. Due to a threat to his life and loss of dwelling, Razzaq has fled his home and has taken shelter at his friend’s place in Balochistan Province to escape the wrath of the Sindh police.
It is unfortunate that the feud has embroiled women of all three tribes, who are paying a price for the deeds of their men. They are being used as pawns in the dispute, to subjugate the men. Women have traditionally been kidnapped to coerce tribesmen to settle disputes.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities listed calling on them to immediately recover the four women and one man who have been kept in incommunicado by the Jacobabad police to pressurize the Saidan tribe to sell the disputed land to the Thaheem tribe. Also urge the government to take immediate action to avert further escalation of violence in the area that has already killed four persons. Stern disciplinary action must be taken against erring police officers for kidnapping women and raising the houses of the Saidan tribe illegally. Please also ask the authorities to compensate the victims who have lost their homes due to police excess. The AHRC will write a separate letter to the UN Rapporteur on the Question of Violence against women asking her to intervene in the matter.
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SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Police abduct four women amidst tribal clash
Name of victims:
1. Mr. Syed A Razzaq Shah, resident of Goth Ghulam Shah Union Council, Nawara, Maula Dad Taluka, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
2. Ms. Zainab, abducted by police, resident of Goth Ghulam Shah Union Council, Nawara, Maula Dad Taluka, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
3. Ms. Hasina, abducted by police, Goth Ghulam Shah Union Council Nawara, Maula Dad Taluka, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
4. Ms. Hoor Bibi, abducted by police, resident of Goth Ghulam Shah Union Council Nawara, Maula Dad Taluka, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
5. Ms. Hasina, abducted by police, Goth Ghulam Shah Union Council Nawara, Maula Dad Taluka, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
6. Mr. Washloo Qambrani, killed in cross fire, resident of Goth Chachar Khan, Taluka Mauladad, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
7. Mr. Rajo Khan Thaeem, killed in cross fire, resident of Goth Haji Khan Thaeem, Taluka Maula Dad, Jacobabad, Sindh Province
8. Mr. Haq Nawaz, killed in cross-fire, resident of Goth Haji Khan Thaeem, Taluka Maula Dad, Jacobabad, Sindh Province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Sajjad Khoker, Senior Superintendent of Police, Jacobabad District, Sindh Province
2. Mr. Abdul Ghaffor Thaeem, tribal leader, resident of Maula Dad Road, Shikanpura, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
3. Muhabat Khan Qambrani, tribal leader of Qambrani tribe, resident of Maula Dad Road Shikanpura, District Jacobabad, Sindh Province
Date of incident: 15 October 2016
Place of incident: Taluka Maula Dad, Jacobabad District, Sindh Province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the abduction of four women and a man for ransom by the police of Jacobabad, Sindh, during the clash between three tribes over a piece of agricultural land that belongs to the poor Saidan tribe. During the fierce fighting four persons have been killed, and in response the police has filed cases against 17 persons, including 11 women from the Saidan tribe.
The police are blackmailing the victims, demanding a huge bribe for the release of the women. The police, in collusion with the influential Thaheem tribe, are pressurizing the Saidan tribesmen to sell the disputed property to the Thaheem. The police have kept all those arrested, including the women, at an unknown location and are not divulging details despite repeated requests from the families.
I am appalled to know that On October 15, armed men from two tribes of Sindh Province, the Qambrani and Thaheem tribes, archrivals that have been feuding for generations, took their positions against each other, in trenches. In the fight that ensued, four people were killed, one injured. The clash started early morning with one group opening fire on the other. According to the police report, among the deceased, are an individual from the Qambrani tribe and three were from Thaheem tribe.
Tension prevails in the area and heavy police reinforcement has been called out from other districts to control the situation. A police report (FIR) had been filed by the Thaheem tribe, against 17 members of the Qambrani and Saidan tribes, of which 11 are women. The police picked up all those named, without investigation, and detained them at an undisclosed location.
The bloody clash began on a dispute, involving the sale of 25 acres of land to the Qambrani tribe by the Saidan tribe. The Thaheem tribe has claimed that the land should have been sold to them as they have first priority in the area.
Four years ago, Mr. Sayed Razzaq Shah of the Saidan tribe sold his property to Wahlo, who belongs to the Qambrani tribe. The said property is located in the neighborhood of the Thaheem tribe, in the jurisdiction of Maula Dad Police Station in Village Haji Thaeem Khan Goth, Jacobabad, Sindh Province.
Under the custom of easement, still prevalent in rural areas of Pakistan, the owner of the property is obligated to first offer to sell the property to his neighbor. Razzaq, exercising his right to sell the property, decided to sell the property to a member of Qambrani tribe. The Qambrani and Thaheem tribes are archrivals and have been feuding for generations.
Unknown to Razzaq, his cousin and co-owner of the property, Mr. Rajan Shah had promised to sell the property to a member of Thaheem tribe sometime ago. This caused a feud between the tribes, as the Thaheem tribe wanted to retain their dominance in the neighborhood. A jirga was eventually called to settle the matter, whereby it was decided that the contentious property must be sold to the Thaheem. Razzaq refused to comply, while his cousin agreed with the verdict.
It is distressing for me that the rift between the co-owners went on for some time; it took a turn this year when Rajan Shah asked the Thaheem tribe to take over the property. As the Qambrani tribe had already made part payment for the property, they claimed ownership of the land. This resulted in a heated exchange of words between members of the tribes, which further escalated into exchange of gunfire.
I am horrified to know that the women of the Saidan and Qambrani tribe had been nominated to put pressure on the male members to sell the property, as the Thaheem have political clout in the area and are well connected with ruling political party. For instance, the police have refused to file complaints made by members of the Qambrani and Saidan tribes against members of the Thaheem tribe.
It was shocking for me that on October 15, the police raised to the ground homes belonging to the Saidan tribe. As many as 10 houses were raised, using cranes.
According to a victim, Razzaq Shah, a senior police officer posted at Maula Dad Police Station has asked Saidan tribe to pay Pakistan Rupees one million for the release of their women folk.
Razzaq also claims that the police are pressurizing him to sell-off the property to Thaheem. Due to a threat to his life and loss of dwelling, Razzaq has fled his home and has taken shelter at his friend’s place in Balochistan Province to escape the wrath of the Sindh police.
It is unfortunate that the feud has embroiled women of all three tribes, who are paying a price for the deeds of their men. They are being used as pawns in the dispute, to subjugate the men. Women have traditionally been kidnapped to coerce tribesmen to settle disputes.
I, therefore, urge upon you to recover the four women and one man who have been kept in incommunicado by the Jacobabad police to pressurize the Saidan tribe to sell the disputed land to the Thaheem tribe. The government must take immediate action to avert further escalation of violence in the area that has already killed four persons. Stern disciplinary action must be taken against erring police officers for kidnapping women and raising the houses of the Saidan tribe illegally. The authorities should also compensate the victims who have lost their homes due to police excess
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1.Mr. Mian Mohammad 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, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
2. Mr. 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
3. Mr. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
Minister
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
4. 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
5. Mr. Tahir Shahbaz
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
7. 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
8. 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)
