Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission has received information about a horrific case in which a 24-year-old young man, Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik, was severely assaulted on his penis while being tortured by the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Market police station in Larkana District, Sindh Province, Pakistan, on 25 January 2007. The victim had been arrested by the Market police on the charges of being without his national identity card on January 22. The victim is now warded in a hospital under police custody. It is alleged that police officers of Larkana District are threatening the victim, demanding him to change the story of the incident before the inquiry committee and claim that he severed his own penis in an attempt to commit suicide. Meanwhile, the police also filed an attempted suicide case against the victim to cover up the incident. The victim’s genitals are being kept in the store room of the Market police station allegedly for further investigation. The local people, however, claim that the police is doing so in order to demonstrate its terror and instill fear in the people.
CASE DETAILS:
On 22 January 2007, 24-year-old Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik, a cook by profession, was arrested by the Market police near the ladies shopping market named Resham Gali in Larkana city, Larkana district, Sindh province for not possessing a national identity card while he was shopping. It is reported that Mr. Hazoor Buksh had worked as a cook in the house of Mr. Moummad Tunio, the SHO of the Market Police station some three years ago. At that time, he had been arrested by the SHO on the charge of stealing Rupees 25,000 (USD 417) from the house and severely tortured. He was later released due to lack of evidence. However, the SHO Mr. Moummad Tunio had ordered the victim to leave the area immediately and not to come back again to Larkana city. The SHO had then allegedly threatened the victim, saying that if he saw the victim again under his jurisdiction, he would be subjected to exemplary punishment.?
Late in the night of 25 January 2007, the SHO Mr. Mohummad Tunio came in drunk to the police station and ordered on-duty police officers to fasten the victim with ropes and chains. The on-duty officers at that time were Registrar Head Constable (Head Moharar) Mr. Rab Nawaz Mangi, Head Constable Mr. Abdul Latif, and Head Constable Mr. Ayaz Shahani. The SHO then began to brutally torture Mr. Hazoor Buksh, and at the height of anger, he allegedly severed the victim’s penis with a sharp-edged knife. It was around 2:30 am and the victim’s hands remained chained behind him.
Early the following morning on January 26, Mr. Hazoor Buksh was found unconscious lying in the police lock-up in a pool of blood. The police took him to Chandka Medical College and Hospital in Larkana district. Since then, he has been under treatment at the Jail Ward of the hospital, chained to his bed and under police custody. Meanwhile, the police allegedly registered a false attempted suicide case and a First Information Report (FIR) No. 17/2007 against the victim under sections 34, 337 and 334 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The police also claimed that the victim is a mentally ill person.?
Upon learning about this horrific incident, local people and journalists held a protest against the brutality of the police and also went on strike.
The Home Department of the Sindh provincial government appointed Mr. Akhtar Hussian Gorchani, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Larkana Range, to conduct an inquiry about the incident. However, the DIG made an inquiry in haste on January 26 and submitted a report confirming the police’s version of the story that this is an attempted suicide case and that the victim is a mentally ill person.
However, the Home Department rejected the DIG’s report due to huge protest of local people, journalists and political groups in the area and appointed Mr. Mushtaq Mahar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)-Investigation to re-conduct the inquiry into the incident. The SSP recorded statements of several police officers including the SHO Mr. Mohummad Tunio on January 28. However, the inquiry report is kept in pending.
According to a staff reporter Mr. Nisar Khokhar of Daily Kawish, one Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr. Ali Nawaz Lashari said that he told the SSP that the victim has worked as a cook at his residence for the last one year and the victim was never found to be a thief or a mentally ill person. The SHO Mr. Muhammad Tunio is now denying having castrated the victim and insists that the victim did it by himself with a broken tea cup. The victim told both the DIG and SSP during the inquiry that the SHO cut his penis with the help of some police officers.
The Sindh provincial government suspended the SHO Mr. Muhammad Tunio until the inquiry is completed. However, local newspapers reported that the SHO regularly visits the Market police station. It is also alleged that now high ranking officials are threatening the victim to change his statement against the SHO to that of attempted suicide, otherwise his family will face dire consequences.
The victim’s marriage was fixed to be the third week of February 2007.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below demanding their urgent intervention to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice. All the medical expenses should be covered by the local authorities and the victim should be adequately compensated. Please also urge the Government of Pakistan to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture (CAT) without further delay in order to prevent the abuse committed by the state officers.?
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Police severed a young man’s penis during torture
Name of victim: Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik, aged 24, a cook by profession, permanent resident of Garhee Tagoo village, Yaluka Khanpurr, Shikarpurr district, Sindh province, Pakistan; at the time of incident he was working as a cook at the residence of Mr. Ali Nawaz Lashari, a Deputy Superintended of Police (DSP), in Larkana district, Sindh province, Pakistan
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Muhammad Tunio, Station Head Officer (SHO) attached to the Market police station in Larkana District, Sindh province (prime suspect)
2. Registrar Head Constable (Head Moharar) Mr. Rab Nawaz Mangi attached to the Market police station
3. Head Constable Mr. Abdul Latif attached to the Market police station
4. Head Constable Mr. Ayaz Shahani attached to the Market police station
5. Mr. Akhtar Hussain Gorchani, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Larkana Range, the first investigating officer of the incident
Place of incident: Market police station
Date of incident: late in the night of January 25 to 2:30am on January 26, 2007
I want to inform you about the horrific torture inflicted upon a 24-year-old young man by the Market police in Larkana district, Sindh province. I was informed that Mr. Hazoor Buksh Malik was cut on his penis by the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Market police station while being tortured on 25-26 January 2007. The victim had been arrested near a ladies shopping market named Resham Gali in Larkana city by the Market police on January 22 on the charge of not having his national identity card.
To briefly explain the incident, late in the night of 25 January 2007, the SHO Mr. Mohummad Tunio came in drunk to the police station and ordered on-duty police officers to fasten the victim with ropes and chains. The on-duty officers at that time were Registrar Head Constable (Head Moharar) Mr. Rab Nawaz Mangi, Head Constable Mr. Abdul Latif, and Head Constable Mr. Ayaz Shahani. The SHO then began to brutally torture Mr. Hazoor Buksh, and at the height of anger, he allegedly severed the victim’s penis with a sharp-edged knife.
I am appalled that the Market police simply abandoned the victim despite his serious injuries due to torture. The victim was found unconscious lying in the police lock-up in a pool of blood on the morning of January 26. He was then taken by the police to Chandka Medical College and Hospital in Larkana district, where he has been under treatment at the Jail Ward of the hospital under police custody.
I was informed that to avoid responsibility of the incident, the police registered a false attempted suicide case against the victim and also claimed that the victim is a mentally ill person. However, I have a view that the SHO committed this crime as a punishment to the victim. I was informed that the victim had worked as a cook at the said SHO’s house some three years ago and arrested on charges of stealing Rupees 25,000 (USD 417) from the SHO’s house. He was severely tortured during the detention but later released due to lack of evidence. However, the SHO allegedly told the victim that if he comes back to his jurisdiction in Larkana city, he would be given exemplary punishment. I have also learned that one Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who is the current employer of the victim, reportedly told the SSP that the victim was never found to be a thief and is certainly no mentally ill person.
While welcoming the temporary suspension of the SHO Mr. Muhammad Tunio by the Sindh government, I am gravely concerned about the transparency of the police inquiry into this incident. I was informed that the first investigating officer of this incident, Mr. Akhtar Hussian Gorchani, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Larkana Range, submitted an inquiry report on January 26, which merely confirms the police’s version of the story, although the victim gave the DIG the details of the incident. I was informed that Mr. Mushtaq Mahar, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)-Investigation is re-conducting the inquiry into the incident; however the inquiry report has been in pending to date.
I am also concerned about the security of the victim’s family. I was informed that the high ranking officials are allegedly threatening the victim to change his statement against the SHO to one of attempted suicide, or else his family will face dire consequences. Furthermore, the SHO regularly visits the Market police station and freely contacts his colleagues despite his suspension. I think this threatens the transparency of the investigation and becomes an indirect intimidation to the victim and his family.?
This brutal incident completely destroyed the life of the victim, who was scheduled to marry in the third week of February 2007. It is also sad to say that this is not an isolated incident of police brutality but common practice in police stations in your country on daily basis.?
I therefore strongly urge you to ensure that the investigation can be conducted in a transparent and speedy way so that the alleged perpetrators are brought to justice without delay. Police officers responsible for the gruesome act, including the SHO of Market police, should be charged with attempted murder. I also request you to inquire about the investigation done by DIG Mr. Akhtar Hussain Gorchani and to take proper action against him if he is found guilty of covering up the case to protect the alleged perpetrators. I also request you to inquire about the alleged threats to the victim and provide effective protection to him and his family while the investigation is going on. In addition, all the medical expenses should be covered by the Sindh provincial authorities and the victim should be adequately compensated as well.
The Government of Pakistan should not delay ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture (CAT) any more in order to prevent the abuse committed by the state officers. Otherwise, the Government of Pakistan will not be able to justify its presence in the UN Human Rights Council and will make itself the mockery of an international community.?
I look for your urgent intervention in this case.
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER 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. 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 Sabih Uddin
Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92-21-9213220
Email: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk?
4. Dr. Ishrat UL Ibad
Governor of Sindh province
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 21 920 1201
5. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
6. Chief Secretary
Government of Sindh
Chief Secretariat,
Karachi, Sindh province,
PAKISTAN
Email: cs.sindh@sindh.gov.pk
7. Secretary
(Criminal Prosecution) SGA &CD Department
Government of Sindh
Sindh Secretariat,
Karachi, Sindh Province.
PAKISTAN
Email: secy.cpsd@sindh.gov.pk
8. Dr. Faqir Hussain
Registrar
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Supreme Court Building
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92-51-9213770
E-mail: registrar@supremecourt.gov.pk
9. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Safir Syed
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
