Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received the following up-dated information. It concerns the enforced disappearance of a 21 year-old student from one of Karachi University’s canteens. He was abducted by plainclothes persons in the presence of a good number of Rangers. The abductors came in a white car and on two motor bikes. Since then his whereabouts remain unknown.
His family members and university friends contend that persons from Intelligence Agencies abducted him. They are apprehensive that he will be tortured to get information from him as being a Baloch.
CASE NARRATIVE:
On November 20, at 5.30 pm, Mr. Sagheer Ahmed, after taking an examination, went to the University of Karachi canteen. Many students were there as well as some plainclothes persons. Suddenly, a white car and two motor bikes pulled up close to the canteen. Five persons jumped out of the car and four persons from the motor bikes. They grabbed Sagheer. Other suspected persons cordoned off the canteen so that there would not be any resistance from the students. Sagheer was dragged to the car and whisked away to an unknown place. The abductors appropriated all the cell phones of his friends gathered in the canteen.
SAGHEER AHMED.
Sagheer 21, was a second year student in the BA Political Science stream. He was from the Balochistan Province having left his native place, Awaran, after the earthquake.
This particular canteen inside the university is situated near the student hostels and an exit road leading to residential areas. Several hundred Rangers occupy the hostels. They have been stationed there since 1990 for security reasons. But, even though they were there, many prominent teaching staff including Professors were killed by Islamic militant groups. Many others were picked up and disappeared by the Rangers and Intelligence Agencies.
Fellow students and Sagheer’s younger sister, Hameeda Tariq, were very concerned with the situation. They went to the Mubeena Police Station, where the Police flatly refused to register the case. They said that the Police were not the ones who picked him up. You need to contact the Intelligence agencies who have this practice. The station Officer was un-professional in the way he asked Hameeda and Sagheer’s friends to leave.
Students approached different entities, i.e. Senior Police Officials, the Sindh Government and the Rangers. But they were unable to garner any information about Sagheer’s whereabouts. Concerned Authorities were questioned by the students. They posed this question. When hundreds of Rangers are deployed in the University, how is it that unknown persons are able to approach and abduct a student right under the noses of Law Enforcement Agencies?
Another institution approached by the students was the Sindh Chapter of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR). Their official, Ms. Anees Haroon, wrote letters to several authorities about Sagheer’s disappearance. Due to pressure from the Commission, the Police asked Hameeda to come and file a first information report (FIR).
Fellow students say that the victim was never involved in any student/political activities. He had few friends. His sin is that he belongs to Balochistan.
After his disappearance, on December 2, plainclothes persons allegedly from Intelligence Agencies abducted one peace activist, Mr. Raza Khan from Lahore. His whereabouts are still unknown. AHRC-UAC-203-2017
It is no secret for Pakistani citizens that the Military conducts itself above the Law. It can abduct any person and keep them indefinitely in its torture cells to obtain information. Many such missing persons have died in secret torture cells. Their mutilated bodies were found on the roadsides. This is a common practice, particularly in the Sindh and Balochistan Provinces where huge contingents of military are stationed.
Students and teaching staff of Karachi University say that the Vice Chancellor does not act on incidents of abduction, disappearances and murder of Professors. The reason? Sindh Rangers keep him continuously under one specific threat. And the threat is that his children will also face a similar situation.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Peace activists, civil society and human rights based-bodies accuse the Military establishment for its abductions and disappearances with the start of 2017. Military Intelligence Agencies have arrested 14 academics and bloggers, disappeared them and keep them in military torture cells. Four were recovered as a result of pressure from the International Community. However, some still remain missing.
Please see the following:
AHRC-UAC-203-2017
AHRC-UAC-001-2017
AHRC-STM-104-2017
AHRC-STM-004-2017
AHRC-ANM-002-2017
AHRC-UAC-021-2017
Pakistan started 2017 off with a crack-down on human rights defenders and bloggers. They raised their voices on disappearances and extra-judicial killings in general and on Balochistan in particular. Pakistan is routinely ranked among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting anything critical about the military is like raising a red flag, causing journalists to be detained, beaten and even killed.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the following Authorities. Request that they immediately recover Mr. Sagheer Ahmed, BA honors student at Karachi University. He was disappeared after being abducted by plainclothes persons in the presence of a good number of Rangers. Please urge them to rescue him from probable torture and intimidation by the Military who adopt such practices after abduction. The Government must stop the practice of enforced disappearances. It must ratify the UN Convention against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, promised in 2012. Urge them to bring the Pakistani Military and other Law Enforcement Agencies under the superiority of the Law of the country.
For example, “The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, calling for its intervention in this matter”.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Appeal safe recovery of Sagheer Ahmed disappeared from University
Name of victim: Mr. Sagheer Ahmed, son of Ghulam Qadir Mirwani, BA Honors student, University of Karachi, resident of Lyari, Karachi, Sindh
Names of alleged perpetrators:
1. Intelligence Agencies of Pakistan Military
2. Sindh Rangers,
3. Dr. Mohammad Ajmal, Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi
Date of incident: November 20, 2017
Place of incident: University of Karachi, Sindh
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the enforced disappearance of a 21 year-old student from inside one of Karachi University’s canteens. Plainclothes persons abducted him in the presence of a good number of Rangers. The abductors came in a white car, and on two motor bikes. Since then Sagheer’s whereabouts remain unknown.
His family members and university friends accuse persons from the Intelligence Agency that abducted him. They are apprehensive that he will be tortured to extract information from him as he is a Baloch.
I am appalled by the criminal acts of the intelligence agencies that on November 20, at 5.30 pm, Mr. Sagheer Ahmed, after taking an examination, went to the University of Karachi canteen. Many students were there as well as some plainclothes persons. Suddenly, a white car and two motor bikes pulled up close to the canteen. Five persons jumped out of the car and four persons from the motor bikes. They grabbed Sagheer. Other suspected persons cordoned off the canteen so that there would not be any resistance from the students. Sagheer was dragged to the car and whisked away to an unknown place. The abductors appropriated all the cell phones of his friends gathered in the canteen.
.
According to my information, Sagheer 21, was a second year student in the BA Political Science stream. He was from the Balochistan Province having left his native place, Awaran, after the earthquake.
This particular canteen inside the university is situated near the student hostels and an exit road leading to residential areas. Several hundred Rangers occupy the hostels. They have been stationed there since 1990 for security reasons. But, even though they were there, many prominent teaching staff including Professors were killed by Islamic militant groups. Many others were picked up and disappeared by the Rangers and Intelligence Agencies.
The fellow students and Sagheer’s younger sister, Hameeda Tariq, were very concerned with the situation. They went to the Mubeena Police Station, where the Police flatly refused to register the case. They said that the Police were not the ones who picked him up. You need to contact the Intelligence agencies who have this practice. The station Officer was un-professional in the way he asked Hameeda and Sagheer’s friends to leave.
This is shocking for me that Students approached different entities, vz. Senior Police Officials, the Sindh Government and the Rangers. But they were unable to garner any information about Sagheer’s whereabouts. Concerned Authorities were questioned by the students. They posed this question. When hundreds of Rangers are deployed in the University, how is it that unknown persons are able to approach and abduct a student right under the noses of Law Enforcement Agencies?
I appreciate the action taken by the NCHR which was approached by the students was the Sindh Chapter of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR). Their official, Ms. Anees Haroon, wrote letters to several authorities about Sagheer’s disappearance. Due to pressure from the Commission, the Police asked Hameeda to come and file a first information report (FIR).
Fellow students say that the victim was never involved in any student/political activities. He had few friends. His sin is that he belongs to Balochistan.
After his disappearance, on December 2, plainclothes persons allegedly from Intelligence Agencies abducted one peace activist, Mr. Raza Khan from Lahore. His whereabouts are still unknown. AHRC-UAC-203-2017
It is no secret for Pakistani citizens that the Military conducts itself above the Law. It can abduct any person and keep them indefinitely in its torture cells to obtain information. Many such missing persons have died in secret torture cells. Their mutilated bodies were found on the roadsides. This is a common practice, particularly in the Sindh and Balochistan Provinces where huge contingents of military are stationed.
I was distressed to know that students and teaching staff of Karachi University say that the Vice Chancellor does not act on incidents of abduction, disappearances and murder of Professors. The reason? Sindh Rangers keep him continuously under one specific threat. And the threat is that his children will also face a similar situation.
Therefore, I urge you to immediately recover Mr. Sagheer Ahmed, BA honors student at Karachi University. He was disappeared after being abducted by plainclothes persons in the presence of a good number of Rangers. I also urge them to rescue him from probable torture and intimidation by the Military who adopt such practices after abduction. The Government must stop the practice of enforced disappearances. It must ratify the UN Convention against Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, promised in 2012. The government must bring the Pakistani Military and other Law Enforcement Agencies under the superiority of the Law of the country.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
Prime Minister of Pakistan
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. Federal Minister of Interior Affairs
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. 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. Mr. Anwar Sial
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
9. Ms. Anis Haroon
Member, National Commission for Human Rights, Government of Pakistan
State Life Building No. 3, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Phone No. +92 21 99201638
Fax: +92 21 99201641
Email: anisharoon4@gmail.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
