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PAKISTAN: Three more women allegedly buried in same way as five women buried in Balochistan

September 25, 2008

[NOTICE: The AHRC has 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-215-2008

26 September 2008
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PAKISTAN: Three more women allegedly buried in same way as five women buried in Balochistan

ISSUES: Violence against women; impunity; no investigation; abduction; murder; honour killing; rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is shocked to learn that three more women have been buried alive in Balochistan province, a few days after they protested against the live burial of five women taking place in the same province (AHRC-UAC-182-2008). One prime perpetrator of the murder has not been seen since he was taken into police custody. It is reported that he and seven other men involved are under the protection of the provincial minister Mr. Sadiq Umrani--the brother of the main suspect. 

CASE DETAILS:

According to information received, the three women had spoken out in the case of the live burial of five women (please refer to AHRC-UAC-182-2008). They were allegedly abducted by Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani--the younger brother of the provincial minister--and other thugs, including a head constable of police. It is reported that the three women were also buried alive using the same tractor as in the case of the first five women. The women were from Teendah and Mirwah villages in Naseerabad (names withheld for security reasons of their family members). As of now, the number of women who have been buried rises to eight in the area.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Umrani, the head constable of police and bodyguard to Abdul Sattar Umrani, has still not been arrested and continues serving as a personal bodyguard.

It is reported that suspects are hiding under the protection of the provincial minister, Mr. Sadiq Umrani. The alleged main perpetrator, Mr. Mohammed Murad, Nazim (chief) of Union Consul Garhi Raman--the owner of the tractor--was taken into police custody last week. He was handed over to the crime branch of the Balochistan police, who deny that he was handed over. It is believed that he too is now under provincial protection.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Detailed information has been obtained regarding an earlier case in which Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani was involved (AHRC-STM-234-2008). In this case, he forcibly occupied the land of Haji Bulab Palali in Moza Tharoo, Babakot, and gave the house to his brother, at the same time that his brother became provincial of housing in May 2008. It caused armed fighting between the two parties and one man from the Umrani side, Mr. Abdul Fateh Bangal, was killed.

In an act of revenge for Bangal's death, Umrani's side attacked Haji's house together with Mr. Mohammed Murad.  During the assault they killed eight people including the wife of Haji and his four sons.

After the killings took place, Mr. Nadir Magsi, minister of Sindh province held a Jirga that decided upon a fine of Rs. 10 million (around USD 150,000) against Abdul Sattar Umrani. He made a payment of Rs. 1 million for the murder of each person and 2 million rupees for dishonoring the sanctity of another's house by attacking it. However, the police have not yet instigated an investigation or made any effort to arrest those responsible. 

Please also refer to an open letter to Dr. Yakin Erturk, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women sent by the Asian Human Rights Commission concerning the burying alive of five women.  (AHRC-OLT-021-2008).

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

The courts of Pakistan, including the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court, have declared the Jirga as illegal and unconstitutional. Nevertheless, it is still a common practice in feudal and tribal based areas (please refer to our previous appeals: AHRC-UAC-193-2008, AHRC-UAC-182-2008, AHRC-UAC-144-2008, UP-89-2007, UA-175-2005).

The Government of Pakistan has not taken any positive action to eliminate discrimination against women. By allowing the illegal Jirga system to continue they are turning a blind eye to the grave inconsistencies in the judiciary system in Pakistan.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write an appeal to the following authorities demanding the arrest of the real perpetrators and an independent enquiry into the continuous burial alive of women by persons in power.

Please be informed that the AHRC has also written letters to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women calling for an intervention in this case.

To support this appeal, please click here:

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear _________,

PAKISTAN: Three more women allegedly buried in same way as five women buried in Balochistan

Details of victims: They were from Teendah and Mirwah villages in Naseerabad (their identities withheld for security reason)
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Abdul Sattar Umrani, residing at Usta Mohammad city, Jaffarabad District, Balochistan province
2. Mr. Fateh Mohammad Umrani, city Nazim (chief) of Naseerabad District, Balochistan province
3. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Umrani, head constable of police and security guard to Abdul Sattar Umrani, Jaffarabad District, Balochistan province
4. Mr. Mohammed Murad, Union Council Nazim (chief) of UC Garhi Rehman, Jaffarabad District, Balochistan province and his six accomplices
Place of incident: in a village of Baba Kot, Jafferabad District, Pakistan

I am shocked to learn about another case of burying women alive under the name of honour killings, even after I appealed to you earlier about the five women who were buried alive.

According to the information that I have received, those three women openly discussed the killings, spoke against the tribal customs and protested against the live burial of five women taking place in the same province. They were also buried alive using the same tractor as in the case of the five women, after being allegedly abducted by Mr. Abdul Sattaar Umrani--the younger brother of the provincial minister--and other thugs, including a head constable of police, who are also main perpetrators of the earlier five women's burial case.

It looks to me as if power politics in the area are directly challenging the written orders of the courts on killing and burying women. The government's adherence to self-serving means has afforded the wrongdoers additional space in which to perpetrate atrocities and act with impunity.

I therefore urge you to investigate this case so that those responsible are properly prosecuted and punished according to law. I also urge you to monitor the investigation process so that the horror of burying alive and killing women comes to an end. I further urge you to arrest the people in power who are responsible for these crimes without any political considerations.

I take this opportunity to remind you of the fact that the Supreme Court has already declared the Jirga as illegal and unconstitutional. Nevertheless, it is still a common practice in feudal and tribal based areas. Finally, I urge you to take active actions to eliminate the Jirga system so that women are no longer victimized by the system, which is inconsistent in the judiciary system in Pakistan.

Yours sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835

2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani
Prime minister
Prime Minister House, Islamabad,
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: webmaster@infopak.gov.pk

3. Mr. Rehman Malik
Advisor for Ministry of Interior
Room No. 404, 4th Floor, R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2624
Tel: +92 51 921 2026
E-mail: minister@interior.gov.pk

4. 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 or naelaw786@hotmail.com

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

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

Thank you.

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

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
AHRC-UAC-215-2008
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.