Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of the appalling gang rape of a 17-year-old girl by six men who are allegedly members of local political parties.
The 17-year-old victim (whose name we withhold) was kidnapped on 6 June 2006. It is alleged that she was taken from her neighbourhood while on her way to perform a religious duty, in the car of the advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Mr. Imam Din Shouquin. The time of kidnapping was 3.30pm and the car used was blue. When the car approached the victim two persons confronted the victim and overpowered her by using an unknown chemical which caused her to lose consciousness. When the victim regained consciousness some time later she found that she had been taken to an unknown place and placed in a room with six intoxicated men. She was then raped by all the men present.
At 10pm that evening the victim was dropped off at a location nearby to the village of Allahyar. When she reached her home her father and brother took her to the Tando Adam Police Station to register a case against the suspects. However, the duty officer at the police station refused to lodge a case after learning that the suspects were affiliated with the ruling parties such as the MQM, the Pakistan Muslim League Functional and Jeay Sindh.
The following day the victim and her family returned to the police station and met with the station house officer (SHO). The SHO agreed to lodge a case but upon learning that the suspects were politically connected, he said he would only do this once he conducted investigations into the allegations. In doing so, the SHO was delaying the arrest of the suspects and giving them time to devise an alibi for their whereabouts at the time of the crime. The SHO then asked the victim to return the following day so that he could issue a letter for a medical examination of her.
When they returned the following day the SHO informed them that he would only issue the letter if they promised to register the case against only several of the suspects. If, however, the victim wished to pursue all of the suspects, then the SHO said he would not help her. It was only when the victims family threatened to take the matter to the press and human rights organizations that the police finally registered a case on June 9. However, the case was lodged naming only Khan Chan, Ismail and Israr and had failed to include Ayub Khos, Sanaullah and another person who were also involved in the crime.
The victim was taken for a medical examination at Taluka Tando Adam Hospital on June 10. Though a case was filed, to date no medical examination report has been issued and no arrests have been made.
The victim and her family have begun a hunger strike in front of the Hyderabad Press Club against the police and the political parties whose workers are involved in the rape case.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below condemning the polices inaction in bringing justice to this case. Please ask that arrests be immediately laid and that the victim is afforded any necessary treatment to help her in her recovery.
Automated email letters can be sent by the AHRC Urgent Appeals on-line support system. To support this appeal please refer to http://www.ahrchk.net/support.php?ua=UA-199-2006. For those contacts without an email address, we ask that you still write a letter and post or fax this. If you have any problems or questions using this system, please feel free to contact us at ua@ahrchk.org.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Police fail to make arrests following the gang rape of a girl
I write to voice my condemnation at the appalling gang rape of a girl and the polices unwillingness to pursue those responsible. The 17-year-old victim was kidnapped on 6 June 2006 near her home in Tando Adam Khan, Sanghar District, Sindh province. She was at the time on her way to perform a religious duty.
Two persons in a blue car overpowered the victim and took her away. She was later taken to an unknown location where six men, all of whom had been drinking alcohol, raped her. At 10pm that evening the victim was dropped off nearby her vaillage of Allahyar.
When she reached her home her father and brother took her to the Tando Adam Police Station to register a case against the suspects. However, the duty officer at the police station refused to lodge a case after learning that the suspects were affiliated with local political parties such as the MQM, the Pakistan Muslim League Functional and Jeay Sindh.
The following day the victim and her family returned to the police station and met with the station house officer (SHO). The SHO agreed to lodge a case but upon learning that the suspects were politically connected, he said he would only do this once he conducted investigations into the allegations. In doing so, the SHO was delaying the arrest of the suspects and giving them time to devise an alibi for their whereabouts at the time of the crime. The SHO then asked the victim to return the following day so that he could issue a letter for a medical examination of her.
When they returned the following day the SHO informed them that he would only issue the letter if they promised to register the case against only several of the suspects. If, however, the victim wished to pursue all of the suspects, then the SHO said he would not help her. It was only when the victims family threatened to take the matter to the press and human rights organizations that the police finally registered a case on June 9. However, the case was lodged naming only Khan Chan, Ismail and Israr and had failed to include Ayub Khos, Sanaullah and another person who were also involved in the crime.
The victim was taken for a medical examination at Taluka Tando Adam Hospital on June 10. Though a case was filed, to date no medical examination report has been issued and no arrests have been made. The victim and her family have begun a hunger strike in front of the Hyderabad Press Club against the police and the political parties whose workers are involved in the rape case.
I ask that you take immediate action into this case so that justice may be served to all involved. The medical examination report must be immediately released and arrests made against the suspects. If the allegations can be substantiated then charges must follow and the suspects brought before a court of law. The victim must receive all the necessary treatment for the trauma she has suffered.
The victim has endured something horrific. I ask that your intervention be forthcoming so that those who are responsible for the crimes committed against her are appropriately punished for their shocking actions.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
Presidents Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see - http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights,
S Block,
Pakistan Secretariat,
Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk
3. Mr. Justice Iftekhar Choudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Supreme Court building
Islam abad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 921 3452
4. Mr. Justice Sabih Uddin
Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 921 3220
Email: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
5. Mr. Ishrat-ul- Ibad Khan
Governor
Government of Sindh
Governor House Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 21 920 1201
Email: C/o mlty_secretary@governorsindh.gov.pk
6. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 21 9202000
7. Mrs. Saira Karim
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 920 2819
Fax: + 92 51 920 3119
8. UNICEF Pakistan
Pakistan Country Office - Islamabad
90 Margalla Road
F - 8/2
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 2097700
Fax: +92 51 2097799
Email: islamabad@unicef.org
9. Mr. Jacob Egbert Doek
Chairperson
Committee on the Rights of the Child
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9022
Email: urgent-action@ohchr.org
10. Ms. Yakin Erturk
Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
c/o Ms Vernonica Birga
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)
Email: vbirga@ohchr.org / urgent-action@ohchr.org (please also cc: rrico@ohchr.org)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
