Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the persecution and intimidation of a human rights defender and filing of fake charges of robbery against him and his elder brother who is an education department officer of government of Sindh. The case was filed allegedly on the behest of a former Chief Minister of Sindh province whose inhuman treatment of peasants was exposed in the past by the victim in different columns. In the past, the former chief minister has also filed a case of defamation of Rupees 400 million against the editor and publisher of a media house who had published the articles of the said human rights defender.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Dilshad Bhutto, son of Mohammad Bux Bhutto, is a prominent human rights defender from Sindh province and he heads the campaign against torture in custody the “Anti Torture Movement Pakistan”. Every year on the occasion of June 26, the international day in Support of Victims of Torture, he organizes different seminars and workshops against the practice of torture in custody with the collaboration of different human rights groups, including the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Many times, he was intimidated by powerful landlords cum politicians who opposed his activism in favour of human rights.
A case of robbery was filed against Mr. Dilshad Bhutto and his elder brother Mr. Mashooq Bhutto in Taluka police station, Larkana district, Sindh province. The robbery is alleged to have occurred in the house of Mr. Nazeer Bhutto, city president of Sindh National Front and Dilshad and Mashooq were accused of looting valuable items from the house. The police immediately acted upon the first information report (FIR) and went to arrest them from Dadu city, 200 kilometers far from Larkana city. Dilshad Bhutto was not present in his house at that time and the police arrested his elder brother who is working as an officer in the department of education, Sindh government, in the early hours of July 29. Local journalists say that the complainant was also not aware that a case was filed on his behalf.
The family members of the victims say that at the time of his arrest Mashooq Bhutto was mishandled by the police and that he was dragged on the road for some meters. Police is refusing to indicate his whereabouts. It is apprehended that he may be at risk of being tortured by the police to get information about his younger brother who went into hiding after the raid at his house.
When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Larkana Refused to inform about his whereabouts.
Local journalists say that Mr. Dilshad Bhutto was implicated in false case on the behest of Mr. Mumtaz Bhutto, former chief minister of Sindh province and a powerful landlord of the country. The former chief minister also filed a case of defamation against Mr. Zia Shahid and Dilshad Bhutto after they had written columns about his cruel ways of dealing with his tenants, including by running private detention centers
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
It is alleged that Mr. Mumtaz Bhutto, the former chief minister and federal minister, has pressured the police to arrest the human rights defender and his brother. In several instances in the past, Mumtaz Bhutto has been suspected of pressing fake charges against activists and journalists to intimidate and harass them. In 2009 Mr. Bhutto’s party workers have attacked and ransacked an office of Daily Awami Awaz and beat the journalists. He is one of the strongest landlords of the country and foreign media have also made documentary on his way of dealing with the poor villagers.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the authorities mentioned below urging them to release the education officer of government of Sindh who was arrested under fake charges of robbery and urging them to withdraw the case against the human rights defender. Please also urge them to provide protection to human rights defender and to initiate prosecutions against the perpetrators for having taken action against the human rights defender.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Human rights defenders calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: A human rights defender is booked on fake charges of robbery, his brother is arrested and at risk of being tortured
Names of victim:
1. Mr. Dilshad Bhutto son of son of Mohammad Bux Bhutto
2. Mr. Mashooq Ali Bhutto, son of Mohammad Bux Bhutto, officer at education department,
Government of Sindh, Dadu district, Resident of Saeed Khan Bhutto village, Dadu district, Sindh province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Hussain, station house officer, Taluka police station, Larkana, Larkana district,
Sindh province
2. Mr. Nazeer Bhutto, city president of Sindh national Front, Larkana, Sindh province
Date of incident: July 28, 2011
Place of incident: Larkana District, Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the harassment and intimidation of a human rights defender by the Larkana police and a powerful landlord-cum-politician and former chief minister of Sindh province. The police have filed a false case of robbery against a prominent human rights defender and his brother. The police have arrested his brother and mishandled him. The police are not informing or confirming about his whereabouts. It is apprehended that he is at risk of being tortured in the custody to get information about his younger brother, the human rights defender, who went into hiding after the raid at his house.
According to my information, Mr. Dilshad Bhutto, son of Mohammad Bux Bhutto, is a prominent human rights defender from Sindh province and he heads the campaign against torture in custody the “Anti Torture Movement Pakistan”. Every year on the occasion of June 26, the international day in Support of Victims of Torture, he organizes different seminars and workshops against the practice of torture in custody with the collaboration of different human rights groups, including the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Many times, he was intimidated by powerful landlords-cum-politicians who opposed his activism in favour of human rights.
I am appalled to learn that on July 28, 2011, a case of robbery was filed against Mr. Dilshad Bhutto and his elder brother Mr. Mashooq Bhutto in Taluka police station, Larkana district, Sindh province. The robbery is alleged to have occurred in the house of Mr. Nazeer Bhutto, city president of Sindh National Front and Dilshad and Mashooq were accused of looting valuable items from the house. The police immediately acted upon the first information report (FIR) and went to arrest them from Dadu city, 200 kilometers away from Larkana city. Dilshad Bhutto was not present in his house at that time and the police arrested his elder brother who is working as an officer in the department of education, Sindh government, in the early hours of July 29. Local journalists say that the complainant was also not aware that a case was filed on his behalf.
I am also informed that the family members of the victims say that at the time of his arrest Mashooq Bhutto was mishandled by the police and that he was dragged on the road for some meters. Police is refusing to indicate his whereabouts. It is apprehended that he may be at risk of being tortured by the police to get information about his younger brother who went into hiding after the raid at his house.
When contacted senior superintendent of Police (SSP) Larkana, was contacted he refused to inform about his whereabouts.
When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Larkana Refused to inform about his whereabouts.
Local journalists say that Mr. Dilshad Bhutto was implicated in false case on the behest of Mr. Mumtaz Bhutto, former chief minister of Sindh province and a powerful landlord of the country. The former chief minister also filed a case of defamation against Mr. Zia Shahid and Dilshad Bhutto after they had written columns about his cruel ways of dealing with his tenants, including by running private detention centers
I am shocked to learn that powerful people use the police to serve their nefarious design and that the police act as the obedient servants of the land aristocracy.
I am also appalled to see that human rights defenders have no protection in the country and they are persecuted for their endeavor to protect the rights of the poor people.
I urge you to immediately release Mr. Mashooq Ali Bhutto, the education officer, whose whereabouts are still unknown. Please also undertake prosecution against those who filed a fake case against the human rights defender, Mr. Dilshad Bhutto, and his brother.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171
Fax: +92 51 9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9221596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
E-mail: pppsindh@yahoo.com
4. Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +9251-9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
5. Mr. Muhammad Ayaz Soomro
Minister for Law, Parliamantry Affairs & Criminal Prosecution Service
Sindh Assembly Building,
Court road, Karachi, Sindh province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9211982
E-mail: secy.law@sindh.gov.pk
6. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
7. Ms. Nadia Gabol
Minister for Human Rights
Government of Sindh,
Pakistan secretariat, Barrack 92,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9207044
Tel: +92 21 9207043
E-mail: lukshmil@yahoo.com
8. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
9. Inspector General of Police
Police Head office, I. I. Chundrigar road
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9212051
E-mail: ppo.sindh@sindhpolice.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
