Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the disappearance of a human rights defender and Homeopathic doctor by profession from his private clinic by some plain clothed persons. They were accompanied by a police vehicle and the abductors were traveling in a black Toyota car. The lawyer of the disappeared person says he was abducted by officials of the intelligence agencies. The victim was abducted one day after the holding of a conference on the International day of Human Rights on December 10, which was jointly organized by the International Institute for Research and Education and the Asian Human Rights Commission in Islamabad on disappearances. The victim actively participated in the conference and assisted in making the arrangements. The conference was successful.
Another person, Qari Zaheer, is also missing. He accompanied the abductors in order to identify the victim. The police have refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) and pressured the father-in-law of the victim to mention the name of Qari as the abductor as the case belongs to intelligence agencies.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Abdul Rauoof, 36, Homeopathic doctor, was kidnapped, allegedly by persons from the intelligence agencies from his clinic on 11th December 2010 at about 7 PM, just one day after the international human rights day when he actively participated in a round table conference on disappearances in Pakistan jointly organized by International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE Islamabad) , Asian Human Rights Commission and the Labour Education Foundation. After his abduction his father-in-law, Mr. Mohammad Gulzar, tried to file a First Information Report (FIR) at Sadiqabad police station. However, the Rawalpindi, police refused to file the FIR as, according to the station house officer (SHO), the intelligence agencies were involved.
On the next day when people from the community pressed the police to file an FIR the police accepted the hand written application of the victim’s father-in-law on the condition that the application should be written against the second person, Qari Zaheer, a disabled person, as the main accused, who has also missing since then. But until now no FIR has been filed, even against Qari Zaheer.
According to eye witnesses, on 11th December, at about 7 PM, Abdul Rauoof was sitting in his clinic located at Muhammadi Plaza, Transformer Chock, Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, when four unidentified persons wearing Shalwar Kamiz with white Chatrali caps came entered the clinic and called Dr. Rauoof to come outside, when he came outside the clinic, they picked him up and pushed him in a black Toyota Corolla car parked on the other side of the road, one police mobile van was also accompanying with the car. One Qari Zaheer who was already known to Dr Rahoof was with these persons who picked him up. Since the incident the house of Qari Zaheer has been locked from the outside and he has been missing.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the authorities to take action against the perpetrators who abducted a homeopathic doctor from his clinic. Please urge the authorities to release him immediately along with another person and prosecute the officials of the Sadiqabad police station, Rawalpindi, who refuse to register the FIR on the pretext that the abductors were from intelligence agencies.
The AHRC is writing separate letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of disappearances and the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders calling for their intervention into this case.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
PAKISTAN: A person was missing after arranging a conference on Human rights international day, police refuse to file case
Name of victim:
Mr. Abdul Rauoof, 39, a homeopathic doctor,
Milad Chowk, Mohammadi colony, Sadiqabad,
Rawalpindi, Punjab province,
PAKISTAN
Names of alleged perpetrators:
Plain clothe persons allegedly from intelligence agencies
Date of incident: December 11, 2010
Place of incident: Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, Punjab province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the abduction and disappearance of a Homeopathic doctor, Abdul Rauoof, from Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, by plain clothed persons suspected to be from the intelligence agencies. Another person, Qari Zaheer, a disabled person, was also missing after he identified Dr. Abdul Rauoof to the abductors.
It is shocking for me that Dr. Rauf, who was also a human rights defender, was abducted just after one day of a roundtable conference on disappearances on the international national human rights day. The round table conference was jointly organized by International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE Islamabad), Asian Human Rights Commission and Labour Education Foundation and Dr. Abdul Rauoof has actively participated in arranging the conference.
According to the details I have received Abdul Rauoof was kidnapped allegedly by persons from the intelligence agencies from his clinic on 11th December 2010 at about 7 PM just one day after the international human rights day when he actively participated in a round table conference on disappearances in Pakistan. After his abduction his father-in-law, Mr. Mohammad Gulzar, tried to file a First Information Report (FIR) at Sadiqabad police station, Rawalpindi, police refused to file the FIR as, according to the station house officer (SHO), the intelligence agencies were involved.
The following day when community people pressed the police to file FIR then police accepted the hand written application of victim’s father-in-law on the condition that application should be written against the second person, Qari Zaheer, as the main accused who is also missing since then. But till now no FIR has been filed even against the police’s claimed accuser.
According to eye witnesses, on 11th December, at about 7 PM, Abdul Rauoof was sitting in his clinic located at Muhammadi Plaza, Transformer Chock, Sadiqabad, Rawalpindi, when four unidentified persons wearing Shalwar Kamiz with white Chatrali caps came in the clinic and called Dr. Rauoof to come out side, when he came outside the clinic, they picked him up and pushed him in a black Toyota Corolla car parked on the other side of the road, one police mobile van was also accompanying with the car. One Qari Zaheer who was already known to Dr Rahoof was with these persons who picked him up. Since the incident the house of Qari Zaheer has been locked from the outside and he is missing.
It is very much evident that neither the government nor the courts have any control over the intelligence agencies which allows them at any time to pick up persons and disappear them. The government’s inability to stop the disappearances have put the citizens in very insecure position, particularly the human rights defenders.
I look forward to your prompt action to provide substantial and comprehensive policy responses on the protection of religious minority groups and misuse of blasphemy law.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9204801 +92 51 9204801 / 51 9214171 51 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, pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk
3. Mr. A. Rehman Malik
Federal Minister for Interior
Government of Pakistan,
R block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026 +92 51 9212026 , 51 9212026 51 9212026 , 51 9212026 51 9212026 , 51 9212026 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
E-mail: ministry.interior@gmail.com, interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
4. Mr. Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US AID Building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
E-mail: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com
5. Mr. Salman Taseer
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Mall Road
Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99203044
E-mail: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk
6. Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore, Punjab province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 7324489
E-mail: chiefsecy@punjab.gov.pk
7. Minister of Law
Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Ravi Road
Lahore, Punjab province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99212004
E-mail: law@punjab.gov.pk
8. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
Yours sincerely,
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
