Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that three young men from Sindh province were taken into custody from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, by personnel from the security forces. Their arrest prompted continuous protests from Sindh nationalists following which ISI personnel informed their family members that they are detained in two different Cantonments in Sindh province. The ISI officials went on to say that if the families continued to protest their detention and news subsequently appeared in the media, the families would receive their dead bodies. The detainees were Sindhi nationalists and belong to the Jeay Sindh Quomi Mahaz (JSQM) which is striving for greater autonomy for Sindh province.
A case for their release from military detention has been filed in the Sindh High Court and the families and their lawyer are waiting for action to be taken by the court.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On 13 September, the detainees, namely, Shahid Junejo the son of Muhammad Ibrahim Junejo, Zamir Hussain, the son of Gulsher Khaskeli and Asghar Jamali, the son of Imam Bux Jamali, residents of Larkana, Meharh and Jamshoro districts, Sindh province left Karachi for Quetta in search of employment. On 16 September, many Sindhi language daily newspapers, namely, Daily Kawish, Daily Awami Awaz, Daily Koshish, Daily Fatah, Daily Jeejal, and Daily Fast Times, published the news that the security forces had picked them up from Sorab Road, Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The news of their arrests reached their families after two days and people of the province started agitating for their safe recovery and the news was widely covered in the local media.
After eight days of their illegal detention, on 21 September, two persons who introduced themselves as employees of Brigadier Qasim of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence service, the ISI, told the families that two of the detainees, Shahid Junejo and Zamir Hussain were in Pano Aqil Cantonment, Sindh, and the third one, Asghar Jamali was being held in Malir Cantonment, Karachi, Sindh.
One of the Brigadier’s employees introduced himself as Mr. Anwer whereas the other one kept quiet throughout the meeting. Anwer threatened them to stop providing news to the media and to stop the nationalist organisation, the JSQM, from holding any further protests otherwise the families would receive the dead bodies of their loved ones. When the family member of Mr. Shahid Junejo tried to explain the position, Anwer simply announced that they had come to tell them clearly what the situation was and not to enter into any discussion with them. After this both of them left immediately.
The above said Cantonment areas are among the 48 cantonments in Pakistan which have torture centers in their premises. Both the Malir and Pano Aqil Cantonments are notorious for keeping nationalists and political activists for long periods and torturing them. In many cases detainees have died of torture. The Sindhi people are constantly agitating against the Cantonments having torture cells where six Balochis have died and their dead bodies simply dumped in Lyari area of Karachi where there are frequent gang fights. By doing so the security agencies are attempting to show that their Balochi victims were killed in a gang war to eliminate the evidence of torture and extrajudicial killings in the military detention centers.
No case or complaint has been registered against the detainees at any Police Station nor have they been produced before any court of law; and it is feared that they would be tortured or extrajudicially killed. It is genuinely feared that the lives of the detainees are in serious danger.
Mr. Gulsher Junejo, the cousin of detainee Shahid Junejo, filed a petition before the Sindh High Court for the safe recovery of the detainees and for them to be produced before the court. The lawyer, Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Lakho hopes that the court will take urgent action on the petition and order the safe recovery of the illegally detained persons.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Such actions from the security agencies, particularly from the military is extra constitutional and above the law. The law is very clear that any detainee must be produced before a court of law within 24 hours after arrest.
The security agencies behave as if they are above the law and never respect the orders of the higher courts who feel themselves slaves before these agencies.
The Pakistan army has 57 torture cells in their 48 cantonments, the Pakistan Air Force runs at least five torture cells including one at its headquarters in Chack Lala. It is the same with the Pakistan Navy which runs at least three torture cells in Karachi and Islamabad. This is very well known to the higher judiciary and successive governments but they have not been allowed to raise any questions about them.
In the recent months many Sindhi nationalists were arrested by the security from different districts of Sindh and kept in military detention centers after which their mutilated bodies were found. Please see below the links of different cases of extrajudicial killings which were documented by the AHRC. These links show how ruthlessly the Pakistani security forces deal with the youth of Sindh.
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-264-2012/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-024-2012/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-112-2013/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-067-2013/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-203-2011/?searchterm=Sindhi%20nationalist%20killed
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following authorities calling them to make arrangements for the safe recovery of three young Sindhis from the illegal detention centers of Pakistan army. Please urge them to stop such practices by the security agencies that illegally arrest, detain, torture and extra judicially kill innocent people and bring these agencies before the law. The officials of the ISI from Sindh must be prosecuted for running a state within a state parallel to the law of the land and killing activists.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Three Sindhi nationalists were arbitrary detained in military custody; families receive threats from army officials
Name of victims:
1.Shahid Junejo son of Muhammad Ibrahim Junejo,
Holder of CNIC No. 43201-9181175-9,
Resident of Village Mandhra, Taluko Dokri,
P.O. Dokri, Taluko Dokri, District Larkana, Sindh
2. Zamir Hussain son of Gulsher Khaskeli,
Resident of Village Allah Dino Teewno, Mehar,
District Dadu, Sindh
3. Asghar Jamali son of Imam Bux Jamali,
Resident of Khuda Ke Basti No. 3, SITE Area,
Kotri, District Jamshoro, Sindh
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1.Brigadier Qasim of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Sindh
Date of incident: September 13, 2013
Place of incident: Quetta, Balochistan
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the illegal arrest of three young Sindhis by the military personnel who are being held in detention centers at two different Cantonments, one person in Malir Cantonment, Karachi and other two in Pano Aqil Cantonment, Sindh.
I was shocked to know that a Brigadier from the ISI has threatened the families of the illegally detained persons that if they continue their protests and provide information to the media they would find the dead bodies of the young Sindhis.
I have been informed that on 13 September, the detainees, namely, Shahid Junejo the son of Muhammad Ibrahim Junejo, Zamir Hussain, the son of Gulsher Khaskeli and Asghar Jamali, the son of Imam Bux Jamali, residents of Larkana, Meharh and Jamshoro districts, Sindh province left Karachi for Quetta in search of employment. On 16 September, many Sindhi language daily newspapers, namely, Daily Kawish, Daily Awami Awaz, Daily Koshish, Daily Fatah, Daily Jeejal, and Daily Fast Times, published the news that the security forces had picked them up from Sorab Road, Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The news of their arrests reached their families after two days and people of the province started agitating for their safe recovery and the news was widely covered in the local media.
I am appalled that after eight days of their illegal detention, on 21 September, two persons who introduced themselves as employees of Brigadier Qasim of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence service, the ISI, told the families that two of the detainees, Shahid Junejo and Zamir Hussain were in Pano Aqil Cantonment, Sindh, and the third one, Asghar Jamali was being held in Malir Cantonment, Karachi, Sindh.
One of the Brigadier’s employees introduced himself as Mr. Anwer whereas the other kept quite throughout the meeting. Anwer threatened them to stop providing news to the media and to stop the nationalist organisation, the JSQM, from holding any further protests otherwise the families would receive the dead bodies of their loved ones. When the family member of Mr. Shahid Junejo tried to explain the position, Anwer simply announced that they had come to tell them clearly of what the situation was and not to enter into any discussion with them. After this both of them left immediately.
For your kind knowledge I wish to inform you that the above said Cantonment areas are among the 48 cantonments in Pakistan which have torture centers in their premises. Both the Malir and Pano Aqil Cantonments are notorious for keeping nationalists and political activists for long periods and torturing them. In many cases detainees have died of torture. The Sindhi people are constantly agitating against the Cantonments having torture cells where six Balochis have died and their dead bodies simply dumped in Lyari area of Karachi where there are frequent gang fights. By doing so the security agencies are attempting to show that their Balochi victims were killed in a gang war to eliminate the evidence of torture and extrajudicial killings in the military detention centers.
It is significant that no case or complaint has been registered against the detainees at any Police Station nor have they been produced before any court of law; and it is feared that they would be tortured or extrajudicially killed. It is genuinely feared that the lives of the detainees are in serious danger.
Mr. Gulsher Junejo, the cousin of detainee Shahid Junejo, filed a petition before the Sindh High Court for the safe recovery of the detainees and for them to be produced before the court. The lawyer, Mr. Ghulam Mustafa Lakho hopes that the court will take urgent action on the petition and order the safe recovery of the illegally detained persons.
I wish to draw your attention to the fact that the law is very clear that any detainee must be produced before a court of law within 24 hours after arrest. However, the security agencies behave as if they are above the law and never respect the orders of the higher courts who feel themselves slaves before these agencies. In the recent months many Sindhi nationalists were arrested by the security from different districts of Sindh and kept in military detention centers after which their mutilated bodies were found.
I therefore urge you to ensure that these young victims are returned to their loved ones, unharmed and that the officials who illegally arrested them are investigated and prosecuted. The illegal arrest, detention and torture of Sindhi activists must be stopped immediately. I also urge you ensure that the persecution of Sindhi nationalists for demanding greater autonomy for their province is brought to a halt.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92-51-9204801-9214171
Fax: +92-51-9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. 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
3. Federal Minister of Law
Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
4. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Email: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
5. Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan
Governor of Sindh province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 5043
Tel: +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201
E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk
6. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.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
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
