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PAKISTAN: Four more disappeared persons bullet riddled bodies found and four are abducted

March 16, 2011

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Update: AHRC-UAC-060-2011

 

16 March 2011
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PAKISTAN: Four more disappeared persons bullet riddled bodies found and four are abducted

ISSUES: Disappearance; extrajudicial killing; right to life; abduction; arbitrary arrest; right to liberty and security; impunity; rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that four disappeared persons bullet riddled and torture marks bodies were found from Balochistan province who were previously arrested by the law enforcement agencies. Their bodies were thrown in different places of Baluchistan and Four more persons were abducted by the Frontier Corps (FC) and plain clothed persons from different places of Balochistan, since then their whereabouts are unknown. The victims’ family believed that they were arrested by Frontier Corps and personal from intelligence agencies.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Mr. Yasir, son of Haji Nasir, resident of Gawader, was an activist of Baloch Student Organization (BSO Azad) abducted from Gawader on 29 October 2010. Regarding his disappearance a case was registered in Gawader police station. On 9 March 2011 his bullet riddled body was found from Murgap. There were drill wounds and torture marks on his body and two bullets wounds on his chest.

Deen Muhammad Marri, 55, son of Sher Muhammad Marri, was a baloch activist abducted from Hub Sakran No, 6 on 28 February 2011, along with his two friends Shareef Marri and Haji Azal Khan Marri. Haji Azal Khan Was released and Muhammad Shareef Marri is still missing. Deen Muhammad body was found on 8 March 2011 from Zero point Liari he received two bullets on his head and torture marks were on his body. Deen Muhammad was abducted first time on 5 February 2008, and released on 6 October 2008. He told that he was abducted by law enforcement agencies and kept in a torture cell where he was tortured by law enforcement agencies.

Faiz Muhammad Marri, son of Jalal Marri was abducted from Karachi on 6 November 2010. His bullet riddled body was found on 2 February 2011, from Dasht Mastung District, Balochistan province.

Another body of Mr. Nuroze Khan, son of Allah Baksh was found last week from Jiwan area of Kalat District, Balochistan.

Mr. Rawat Khan Marri, 26, son of Alam Khan Marri a transporter along with Soorat Khan Marri, 34 a farmer, were arrested in February 2011, from Machi check post. Persons from law enforcement agencies they stopped the vehicle and they were dragged in to a parado with no registration number. When the victim’s family consulted to the police station regarding the kidnapping of them, police refused to file the case against the law enforcement agencies.

Sajid Baloch, Member of Baloch National Movement (BNM) was abducted from Jiwani on 6 March 2011. Hidatullah Jamaldeney, son of Sher Muhammad was arrested on 6 March 2011 from Noshkey; he was the activist of Baloch Republican Party and Deputy Secretary of Killi Faqeeran Unit.

The family members of victims are concerned about their health that they would be killed as like other disappeared persons were killed.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the authorities showing your deep concern about the extrajudicial killings of the disappeared person and the abductions of the activists by law enforcement agencies and Frontier Corps (FC). Please urge them to stop the extra judicial killing of the disappeared persons and the abductions of the activist, if they are involve in any crime or anti state activities, they should be produced before the court and should be prosecuted according to the law instead of abducting or killing in various torture cells.

Please note that the Asian Human Rights Commission has separately written letters to the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance and Special Rapportuer on Extrajudicial, Summery or Arbitrary Execution requesting their intervention into this case.

To support this appeal, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear ___________,

PAKISTAN: Four more disappeared persons' bullet riddled bodies found and four are abducted

Names of victims:
1. Mr. Yasir, son of Haji Nasir, activist of Baloch Student Organization (BSO Azad), his body was found from Murgap, resident of Gawader, Balochistan province
2. Deen Muhammad Marri, 55 son of Sher Muhammad Marri, his body was found from Zero point Liary
3. Faiz Muhammad Marri, son of Jalal Marri, his body was found from Dasht Mastung District province Balochistan
4. Nuroze Khan, son of Allah Baksh, his body was found from Jiwan area of Kalat District, Balochistan province
Alleged perpetrators: Law-enforcment agencies 
Time of incident: In 2011
Place of incident: Karachi, and Balochistan province

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the continuous extra judicially killings of the disappeared persons and the abductions of the activists by the law enforcement agencies. In recent months the extra judicial killing of the missing persons increased.

I am shocked to know that the extra judicial killing of the disappeared persons, who were arrested by the law enforcement agencies and the continuous abductions of the activists are increasing. No action has been taken yet against the law enforcement agencies.

The details of the cases are:
Mr. Yasir, son of Haji Nasir, resident of Gawader, was an activist of Baloch Student Organization (BSO Azad) abducted from Gawader on 29 October 2010. Regarding his disappearance a case was registered in Gawader police station. On 9 March 2011 his bullet riddled body was found from Murgap. There were drill wounds and torture marks on his body and two bullets wounds were on his chest.

Deen Muhammad Marri, 55, son of Sher Muhammad Marri, was a baloch activist abducted from Hub Sakran No, 6 on 28 February 2011, along with his two friends Shareef Marri and Haji Azal Khan Marri. Haji Azal Khan Was released and Muhammad Shareef Marri is still missing. Deen Muhammad body was found on 8 March 2011 from Zero point Liari he received two bullets on his head and torture marks were on his body. Deen Muhammad was abducted first time on 5 February 2008, and released on 6 October 2008. He told that he was abducted by law enforcement agencies and kept in a torture cell where he was tortured by law enforcement agencies.

Faiz Muhammad Marri, son of Jalal Marri was abducted from Karachi on 6 November 2010. His bullet riddled body was found on 2 February 2011, from Dasht Mastung District.

Another body of Mr. Nuroze Khan, son of Allah Baksh was found last week from Jiwan area of Kalat District.

Mr. Rawat Khan Marri, 26, son of Alam Khan Marri, was a transporter along with Soorat Khan Marri, 34, was a farmer, They were arrested in February 2011, from Machi check post. Persons from law enforcement agencies they stopped the vehicle and they were dragged in to a parado with no registration number. When the victim’s family consulted to the police station regarding the kidnapping of them, police refused to file the case against the law enforcement agencies.

Sajid Baloch, Member of Baloch National Movement (BNM) was abducted from Jiwani on 6 March 2011. Hidatullah Jamaldeney, son of Sher Muhammad was arrested on 6 March 2011 from Noshkey, he was the activist of Baloch Republican Party and Deputy Secretary of Killi Faqeeran Unit.

The family members of victims are concerned about their health that they would be killed as like other disappeared persons were killed.

I urge that the extra judicial killings of the disappeared persons and the abduction of the activists should be stopped, Those who are involve in any crime or anti state activities should be produced before the law and should be punished instead of killing or abducting and keeping them in various torture cells. Those who are involve in extra judicial killings and abductions of the activists must be prosecuted.

I look forward to your prompt action against the extra judicial killings of the disappeared persons and abductions of the activist. Those who involve in the incident must be prosecuted.

Yours sincerely,

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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: 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. Mr. Raza Rabbani
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfaraz_yousuf@yahoo.com

5. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk

6. Nawab Aslam Raisani
Chief Minister of Balochistan
Chief Minister House, Quetta
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 81 920 2240
Tel: +92 81 449582 / 440661
E-mail: mirlashkari@yahoo.com

7. Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi
Governor of Balochistan
Governor House Balochistan,
Quetta- Balochistan province,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 81 920 2992

8. Chief Secretary
Government of Balochistan
Quetta, Balochistan province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 81 9202132
Email: chiefsecy@balochistan.gov.pk


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
AHRC-UAC-060-2011
Countries :
Issues :
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.