SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Three children are on token hunger strike since many days demanding recovery of their mother who were abducted by henchmen of tribal leader
Name of victims:
1.Miss Ferzana Pahnwar, wife of Sarang Pahnwar
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
2. Master master Sarang Pahnwar, age 7 year, Son of Sarang Pahnwar
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
3. Miss Farina Panhwar, age 3 years, daughter of Sarang Pahnwar
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
4. Rafia Pahnwar, age 2 years, daughter of Sarang Pahnwar
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
5. Mr. Sarang Pahnwar son of Allah Warayo,
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
6. Mr. Ali Raza son of Ghulam Mohammad,
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
7. Miss Khalida Chandio wife of Ali Raza,
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
8. Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Pahnwar son of Asghar Pahnwar,
Resident of Goth Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu and district Dadu, Sindh province
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1.Mr. Sardar Ahmed Chandio son of Shabbir Chandio, chief of Chandio tribe,
Resident of Jebi Khan, Chndio Goth, district Qamber, Sindh province
2. Mr. Abdul Hakeem Chandio, father of Khalida Chandio,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
3. Mr. Bashir Ahmed Mangi, SPO, deputy superintendent of Police (DSP), District Dadu, Sindh province
4. Mr. Ayaz Ali Baghio, station house officer (SHO) Khadabad police station, district Dadu, Sindh province
5. Mr. Rasool Bux, senior investigation officer, Kadabad police station, district Dadu, Sindh province
6. Mazhar alias Majoo, son of Saleh Mohammad, the abductee of Ferzana Pahnwar,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
7. Soomar son of Allah Warayo Chandio,
Reisdent of District Dadu, Sindh province
8. Mehar son of Saleh Chandio,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
9. Ghulam Ali alia Ali son of Ayube Chandio,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
10. Shariq son of Ayub Chandio,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
11. Ghulam Ali Chandio,
Resident of Goth Mohammad Ibrahim Chandio, district Dadu, Sindh province
Date of incident: May 2007
Place of incident: Khadabad, Tehsil Dadu, district Dadu, Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the daily token hunger strike of three children, Sarang Pahnwar (7), Farina Panhwar (3) and Rafia Pahnwar (2) have been on a daily token hunger strike for more than 50 days in front of Karachi press club demanding the recovery of their mother, Miss Ferzana Chandio, who was abducted on April 9, 2011. About 40 armed men attacked their house killing their father at the scene and injuring their uncle including three other members of the family. The children come to the press club everyday with their grandfather and cry for their mother’s return. The Sindh police and government have not shown the least concern for the recovery their mother or taken action against the perpetrators.
It is very shocking for me that the chief of a tribe held a Jirga, (which was declared illegal by the Sindh high court in 2005), declaring the killing of a couple in the name of honour. The police of Dadu district is making no effort to recover the victim but rather is following the instructions of the perpetrators and ignoring the rule of law.
According to the information received by me, Ali Raza s/o Ghulam Muhammad Pahnwar a resident of village Dhotra Panhwar, District Dadu, Sindh province, was married to Miss Khalida Perveen Chandio daughter of Abdul Hakeem Chandio, a resident of village Muhammad Ibrahim Chandio District Dadu after obtaining free will from the judicial magistrate court on 7 May, 2007 at Hyderabad district. After the court marriage the parents of Miss Khalida filed an abduction case of their daughter against Ali Raza, the husband, at Khadabad police station, Dadu.
Ali Raza approached the Sindh provincial high court at Karachi, the capital of the province, and filed a petition, numbering D-1649 of 2007, pleading that the couple would be killed in the name of honour as both of them are from different tribes and the Chandio tribe has made it an issue of honour as girl was from that tribe. The court has also taken a statement from bride who prayed to live with Ali Raza. The court allowed the father and her uncle to have a separate meeting with the bride on the court premises. Khalida, the bride, refused to go with her parents. The court also ordered the police to withdraw the case of abduction against Ali and make the FIR ‘C’ class.
It is very distressed for me that the parents of the bride called a Jirga, an illegal tribal court, which was headed by Sardar Ahmed Chandio, the head of the Chandio tribe. The Jirga was held in 2007 and declared the honour killing of the couple by declaring them Karo and Kari (black couple).
It is really shocking that the Chandio tribe rejected the marriage and decided that Ali Raza should hand over three girls and an amount in the sum of Rs. one million, as a fine for breaching the tribal tradition. The Pahnwar tribe instead offered Rs. 100,000 and one girl in response to the demand but the tribal chief refused the offer and declared that until the bride is returned or three girls provided in her place were not handed over to Chandio tribe the fight will continue with Pahnwars.
.
The Panhwar tribe including the father mother and other close relatives repeatedly approached the father and other relatives of Ms. Khalida Perveen for reconciliation according to local tradition but the Chandio tribe refused to consider this.
After a lapse of four years on 9 April 2011 over 40 armed persons (16 persons were recognized) attacked the village Khadabad and broke into the house of the Brother-in-Law of Ali, Mr. Sarang, killing two persons at the scene and injuring three. Among the killed persons was the father of three children, Mr. Sarang, who did not have any involvement in the dispute, but the wife, Miss Ferzana Pahnwar was abducted and since then her whereabouts are unknown. The brother of Sarang, Mr.Ashraf Pahnwar was also killed along with his brother.
I feel very bad that police filed a case of murder and abduction of a woman but only five attackers have been arrested; two of them were released immediately. It is alleged that the chieftain of the Chandio tribe, Sardar Ahmed Chandio, is using his influence, being the local leader of the ruling political party, the PPP and the Dadu district police is not the least bit interested in arresting all the accused persons and recovering Ferzana Pahnwar, the mother of the three children.
On 21 July, 2011, Ali Raza, filed an application in the Sindh high court, (petition number S- 513/2011) for the recovery of Ferzana. The police, on behalf of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), submitted before that court that the police had searched 13 different places in several districts of the province but could not recovered her. The statement, in a rhetorical way, mentioned the transfers of some police officials for not recovering her.
I am shocked to see what is happening in the rural areas where the strong tribal leaders and feudal lords have control over the police and use them for their own personal hegemony on the people. The children have been on a token hunger strike on a daily basis since more than 50 days but the Sindh police and the administration have ignored their plight which is a gross violation of the protection of child rights in the country.
I regret to say that government and its functionaries are allowing the tribal chiefs and powerful people to take shelter behind the ruling party and running their tribes like a state within a state. The powerful people are allowed to kill any one they wish in the name of honour and the government and its functionary’s role are to remain silent on what is happening.
I urge you to immediately recover the mother of three and to arrest all the perpetrators including the chief of Chandio tribe for running illegal parallel court and declaring the killing of the couple for the honour of the tribe. Please also prosecute police officials of the Dadu district for not following the law and allowing the killing of the folks in the name of honour of any tribe. The children must be stopped from their daily hunger strike and should be provided the protection by the authorities.
I look forward to your prompt response and action in this case.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. 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: pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk or nsethi@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
E-mail: cmcomplaintcell@cmsindh.gov.pk
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, mit2shc@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)
