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PAKISTAN: Anti nuclear demonstrators arrested, one activist remains missing

May 30, 2008

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed this automatic letter-sending system using the "button" below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Pakistan authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Pakistan authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.]

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-120-2008

30 May 2008
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PAKISTAN: Anti nuclear demonstrators arrested, one activist remains missing

ISSUES: Torture; arbitrary arrest and detention; abduction; disappearance
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information that two peace activists who were a holding demonstration on May 28, 2008, against the tenth anniversary of Pakistan’s nuclear experimental detonations were arrested and one of them remains missing.

CASE DETAILS:

According to the details received, the Baloch Nationalist Front (BNF) held a demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the nuclear detonations by Pakistan during May 1998. The nuclear tests were conducted in Chaghi, Balochistan, and a southern province of the country. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad, chief organizer of BNF and Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch, chief organizer of Baloch Rights Council, were arrested after the peaceful demonstration when they were going to the office of Human Rights Commission, situated at Abdullah Haroon Road near the Karachi Press club, to discuss the issue of missing people in Balochistan. The demonstration was held to show anger against the tremendous usage of national resources on nuclear warheads instead of investing them on education, provision of drinking water and the elimination of poverty.

The area where the nuclear explosions conducted was Chaghai in Balochistan where government denies every basic facility for the people of area including, drinking water, health care, schools, roads, employment and protection from nature. After the six nuclear explosions in the area of Chaghai the people are complaining of new diseases affecting the local residents, particularly skin damage and digestive problems.

The demonstrators were chanting slogans against the nuclear bomb and demanding bread instead of nuclear weapons. The speakers, including both arrested persons, demanded the winding up of the nuclear programme. They accused the military and politicians of destroying their province by conducting nuclear experiments in Balochistan because of poor status of the province, instead of conducting nuclear explosions in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

The victim, Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch, a known Baloch nationalist and peace activist, after his arrest was shifted to a lock up of the Central Crime Investigation (CIA) and after keeping him overnight he was shifted in the early hours of May 29, 2008, to some unknown place by a notorious red coloured double cabin jeep which was previously used in several cases of missing persons which bears no registration numbers.

The other victim, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, the president of the Balochistan National Movement (BNM), was also arrested and first taken to the CIA lock up and then shifted to another police station, the Frere police station. He was later released on the same day on bail.?He was booked for allegedly delivering a provocative speech against the nuclear explosions. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad was earlier, on August 2006, picked by state intelligence agency, the military intelligence, and kept incommunicado at different army camps where he was severely tortured. Please see the link of Urgent Appeal, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/2119/

Additional Information about nuclear explorations:

On 28 May 1998, Pakistan detonated six nuclear devices in the Chagai Hills in the Chaghai district, Balochistan in reaction to the five nuclear explosions from Indai in the same month. This operation was named Chagai-I by Pakistan. Pakistan's fissile material production takes place at Kahuta and Khushab/Jauharabad, where weapons-grade Plutonium is made. The Chaghai is very remote area in the Balochistan province and even the water is not available. The local inhabitants have to rely on a rain which occasionally occurs.

Enforced disappearances:

Enforced disappearance of persons following illegal arrest is a common phenomenon in Pakistan since the military government took power in 1999. For example, in Balochistan province alone where Pakistan army conducts on-going military operations, the Federal Minister of the Interior reported on 5 December 2005 that 4,000 people have been arrested since 2001. Out of 4,000 persons, only less than 200 people have been produced to the courts. The actual number of the arrested will be much higher when the disappearance cases are included. Human rights groups claim that about 6,000 persons have been disappeared since their arrest from 2001 to the present day.
It is also estimated that during this year more than 100 persons have been disappeared after their arrests in Karachi city, Sindh province alone. In Sindh province, several journalists and political & human rights activists have been disappeared after their arrests. To see relevant cases of forced disappearance, pleases visit our previous appeals: UG-003-2006, UA- 227-2006, UG-013-2006, UA-145-2006, UP-127-2006, UA-171-2006, UA-169-2006 UA -132-2006 and UP-191-2006)


SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the appeals (the sample is attached) by clicking the Blue button mentioned at the Urgent Appeal and also send faxes to the following authorities mentioned at the end of sample letter. Please demand from the authorities to ensure the release of Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch who was disappeared after his arrest. Also demand to withdraw the cases against Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Baloch and Abdul Wahab Baloch.

Please also be informed that the AHRC is writing separate letters to numerous UN and international agencies encouraging their interventions.

To support this appeal please, click here:

Sample letter:

Dear Sir_______

PAKISTAN: Anti nuclear demonstrators arrested, one activist remains missing

Name of the victims:
1. Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch, Chief organizer of Baloch Rights Council Karachi-Pakistan.
2. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, President of Balochistan National Movement, Karachi-Pakistan.

I am shocked to know that two above mentioned peace activists and Baloch nationalists were arrested on the charges of holding a peace demonstration against the explosions of Nuclear Bombs held in May 1998. The one arrested activist was missing after his arrest from the CIA lock up. The details of the case are;

 On May 28, 2008, Baloch Nationalist Front (BNF) held a demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club, Karachi, against tenth anniversary of the nuclear explosions by the Pakistan during May 1998. The nuclear bombs were conducted in Chaghi, Balochistan, and a southern province of the country. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad, chief organizer of BNF and Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch, chief organizer of Baloch Rights Council, were arrested after the peaceful demonstration when they were going to the office of Human Rights Commission, situated at Abdullah Haroon Road near the Karachi Press club, to discuss the issue of missing people in Balochistan. The demonstration was held to show anger against the tremendous usage of national resources on nuclear war heads instead of investing them on education, provision of drinking water and elimination of poverty.

The area where the nuclear explosions conducted was Chaghi in Balochistan where government denies every human facility for the people of area including, drinking water, health care, schools, roads, employment and protection from nature. After the six nuclear explosions in the area of Chaghi the people are complaining some new kinds of dieses are spreading particularly skin damaging and weakening the digestive system.

The demonstrators were chanting slogans against the nuclear bomb and demanding bread instead of nuclear war fares. The speakers, including both arrested persons, demanded to wind up the nuclear assets and asked the government to restitute the deposed judiciary. They were accusing the military and politicians for destroying their province by conducting nuclear experiments in Balochistan because of poor status of the province instead of conducting nuclear explosions in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

The victim, Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch, a known Baloch nationalist and peace activist, after his arrest was shifted to lock up of Central Crime Investigation (CIA) and keeping him for overnight at the CIA lock up he was shifted in the early hours of May 29, 2008, to some unknown place by a notorious red coloured double cabin jeep which was previously used in several cases of missing persons and bearing no registration numbers.

The other victim, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, the president of Balochistan National Movement (BNM):?after arrest first taken to CIA lock up and in the wee hours of May 29, shifted to an other police station, the Frere police station, and after keeping him there he was released on the same day on the bail.?He was booked for allegedly delivering a provocative speech against the nuclear explosions. Mr. Ghulam Mohammad was earlier,?on August 2006, picked by state intelligence agency, the military intelligence, and kept in incommunicado at different army torture camps was severely tortured. Please see the link of Urgent Appeal, http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2006/2119/

It is very disturbing that a government which was elected by the people is arresting people on the charges of holding demonstration on 'peace' and it looks that there is no difference between a military government and the so called civilian government. It is also very shocking that an elected civilian government is following the method of disappearances of activists which was a common method of previous military government.

I urge to you to get the release of Mr. Abdul Wahab Baloch and bring the law enforcement authorities to the before the law to disappearing the peace activist.

Yours sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
E-mail: (please see-> http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)

2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani
Prime minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House, Islamabad,
Pakistan
Fax: 92-51-9221596
Tel. No.: +92-51-9206111
Email: webmaster@infopak.gov.pk

3. Mr. Farooq Naik
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights
S Block Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk

4. Rehman Malik
Advisor on Minister of Interior
Room No. 404, 4th Floor, R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9202624
Tel: + 92 51 9212026
E-mail: minister@interior.gov.pk

5. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk?

6. Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan
Governor of Sindh province
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 5043
Tel: +92 21 920 1201

7. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000

8. Chief Secretary
Government of Sindh
Chief Secretariat,
Karachi, Sindh province,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9211946
Tel: +92 21 921950
E-mail: cs.sindh@sindh.gov.pk

9. Secretary
(Criminal Prosecution) SGA &CD Department
Government of Sindh
Sindh Secretariat,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213873
Tel: +92 21 9213327-6
E-mail: secy.cpsd@sindh.gov.pk

10. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court Building
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9213452
Tel: +92 51 9213770
E-mail: registrar@supremecourt.gov.pk 

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
AHRC-UAC-120-2008
Countries :
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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.