Home / News / Urgent Appeals / PAKISTAN: Two teenagers were allegedly shot dead in a fake police encounter
 

PAKISTAN: Two teenagers were allegedly shot dead in a fake police encounter

March 28, 2007

URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION URGENT ACTION

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal

29 March 2007
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
UA-106-2007: PAKISTAN: Two teenagers were allegedly shot dead in a fake police encounter

PAKISTAN: Extra-judicial killings; no investigation; impunity
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is gravely concerned by an alleged extra-judicial killings of two minors by one head constable of the Daharki police station, Daharki district, Sindh province, Pakistan on 27 March 2007. Two young boys aged 13 and 15 separately was shot by the policeman in broad daylight in public. One boy (15) was killed at the spot, while the other injured boy (13) was shot dead at point blank range in the police van before reaching the hospital. Now the Daharki police are attempting to cover up the brutal killings by claiming that the boys were killed during a "police encounter". To date, the police have even refused to register a First Information Report against the concerned policeman. As a result, no investigation has been launched into this case. We were informed that the concerned policeman is allegedly carrying out fake police encounter killings of innocent persons to get promoted as sub inspector. This is yet another clear example to show the lawlessness of the policing system in Pakistan. We call for your immediate and strong intervention into this case so that the alleged perpetrator can be brought to justice as soon as possible. 

CASE DETAILS:

At around 2:45pm on 27 March 2007, two young boys namely Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh, aged 15, and Aijaz Ahmed, aged 13, were riding on a motorbike through cinema road, a busy commercial area of Dharki city, Ubaro town council, Sindh province, Pakistan, in order to distribute marriage invitation cards of one of their close friend.

When the two boys reached in front of one hotel, Mr. Farid Sameejo, the Head Constable of the Dharki police station as well as the owner of the hotel, ordered one hotel employee to hold the boys. The hotel boy then held the motorbike of the boys and Mr. Fareed Sameejo in civilian dress, ordered the boys to raise their hands up and allegedly fired first at the legs of Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh and then shot at Mr. Aijaz Ahmed with an AK47 rifle. Both of them received severe gunshot injuries and fell on the road.  

Upon hearing the gunshots, the people gathered at the scene and asked the Head Constable why the boys were shot. The Head Constable then allegedly told the crowed that the boys have snatched a motorbike and they are dacoits. At this time, the owner of the motorbike arrived at the scene and said that it is his motorbike and he told the boys to use it to distribute the wedding cards.

When facing the anger of the crowd, the said Head Constable allegedly fired point blank at Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh, who died instantly. The Head Constable then with the help of the hotel boy put the injured Aijaz Ahmed in the police van and drove to Daharki Town Hospital, where doctors advised him to take Aijaz Ahmed to the Civil Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province, which is 80 kilometers away from Dhaharki city.

The said Head Constable then took the injured Aijaz Ahmed back to the vehicle but he headed back towards the Dhakarki Town Hospital from Ubaro by-pass after driving about 12 kilometers. It is alleged that the Head Constable shot Aijaz Ahmed dead before reaching the Dhakarki Town Hospital.

After that, the said Head Constable went to the Daharki police station and attempted to file an "encounter killing" case against the two boys. However, when he could not give any strong evidence to prove his claim, he allegedly fired just close to his foot at the backyard of the police station and bullet marked some scratches on his foot. He then went back to the same town hospital and got the paper that he also sustained bullet injures by the two bandits.

In the evening of the same day, Mr. Mohammad Aslam Laghari, the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Dharki police station, along with the concerned Head Constable Mr. Fareed Sameejo briefed local media reporters that two dacoits were killed in a police encounter. They claimed that the police had to fire at them because they attempted to escape when the police stopped them. The police also produced the same AK 47, which was used by the concerned Head Constable, but claimed that the police seized it from the boys. 

As this news spread all over the locality and adjoining villages, local people gathered outside the police station in order to collect the bodies of the two boys. However, the police refused to hand over the bodies saying that it can only be done with the permission of a judicial magistrate. The outraged people then resorted to a protest and blocked the national highway the whole night.

On March 28, the police again refused to hand over the bodies of the boys and in response, the local people again blocked the national highways between the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. After the intervention from several influential persons particularly the chief of the Daher tribe, Mr. Jam Munir Ahmed Daher, the bodies of the boys were returned to their families after 24 hours of the incident.

However, to date the SHO of the Dharki police station has refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the concerned Head Constable, although it is a crucial initial procedure to institute a criminal case against the accused in Pakistan law.

It is reported that the accused Head Constable Mr. Fareed Sameejo is notorious for committing fake police encounter killings. For example, in late January 2007, he allegedly killed one young man namely Mr. Gabol on the pretext of "police encounter" in the same spot declaring him a dacoit. Mr. Gabol was a 19-year-old manual laborer. Local people allege that this Head Constable wants to be promoted as a sub inspector and commits "fake police encounter killings" for this purpose.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please immediately write to the concerned local authorities listed below demanding their urgent intervention into this case. Please urge them to arrest the concerned policeman immediately and charge him with double murder. Please also request them to take action against the SHO of the Dharki police station responsible for attempting to cover up the killings, and to hold an independent judicial inquiry into this case to ensure the transparency of the investigation. Please urge them the investigation should not be conducted by the local police. Please also request them to ensure that the victims' families are awarded adequate compensation.

To support this appeal, please click:

Sample letter:

Dear ________,

PAKISTAN: Two teenagers were allegedly shot dead in a fake police encounter

Name of the victims:
1. Mr. Akhlaq Hussian Sheikh, aged 15, son of Mr. Rab Nawaz Shiekh, the resident of Bhara village, Ubaro town council, Daharki distric, Sindh province, Pakistan
2. Mr. Aijaz Ahmed, aged 13, son of Mr. Mir Hassan Bahar, the resident of Marhi village, Ubaro town council, Daharki distirct, Sindh province, Pakistan
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Mr. Fareed Sameejo, Head Constable of the Dharki police station, Dharki district, Sindh province, Pakistan (main suspect)
2. Sub Inspector Mohammad Aslam Laghari, Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Dharki Police station
Date of incident: 27 March 2007

I am writing to bring your immediate intervention into the alleged extra-judicial killings of the two minors by one Head Constable of the Daharki police station, Daharki district, Sindh province, Pakistan on 27 March 2007. I am informed that the Daharki police now attempt to cover up the case as "police encounter killings".

To briefly explain the incident, at around 2:45pm on 27 March 2007, two young boys aged 13 and 15 separately were stopped by Mr. Fareed Sameejo, Head Constable of the Dharki police station, in front of one hotel in cinema road, Dharki city, Ubaro town council, Sindh province, Pakistan. At that time, they were distributing marriage invitation cards of one of their close friend. They were then shot by the said Head Constable in civilian dress with a AK47 rifle. Both of them received severe gunshot injuries.  

When facing the anger of the crowd who witnesses such a brutal act, the Head Constable concerned again allegedly fired at one body Akhlaq Hussain Sheikh (15), who died instantly. The Head Constable then took the injured Aijaz Ahmed (13) to Daharki Town Hospital, where doctors advised him to take him to the Civil Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province. However, the said Head Constable allegedly shot the boy dead later.

I am informed that when the concerned Head Constable failed to file an "police encounter killing" case against the two boys at the Daharki police station due to lack of evidence, he allegedly fired just close to his foot at the backyard of the police station and got the paper from the town hospital that he sustained bullet injures by the two bandits.

I am further appalled by the police's clear attempt to cover up the brutal killings. I am informed that Mr. Mohammad Aslam Laghari, the Station Head Officer (SHO) of the Dharki police station, along with the concerned Head Constable Mr. Fareed Sameejo briefed local media reporters on the evening of March 27 that the two boys are dacoits and killed in a police encounter. The police even produced the same AK 47 rifle, which was used by the concerned Head Constable, but claimed that the police seized it from the boys. I am informed that to date the said SHO has refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the concerned Head Constable, although it is a crucial initial procedure to institute a criminal case against the accused in Pakistan law. As a result, no investigation has been launched into this case and the concerned Head Constable has not yet been arrested. 
 
I am informed that the accused Head Constable wants to be promoted as a sub inspector and is allegedly carrying out "fake police encounter killings" for this purpose. I am informed that this policeman is also responsible for the killing of one young man namely Mr. Gabol in late January 2007. In this case, this young man was also killed in the same spot on the pretext of a "police encounter".

This case is yet another clear example to show the lawlessness of the policing system in Pakistan. Considering the seriousness of the case, I call for your immediate intervention into this matter. I request you to take urgent action to arrest the concerned policeman, charge him with double murder and bring him to justice as soon as possible. The SHO of the Dharki police station, who is responsible for attempting to cover up the killings, should be punished by law as well. I also request you to ensure that an independent judicial inquiry is held into this case to find the actual truth of the incident and ensure the transparency of the investigation. Considering the behavior of the Dharki police, the investigation should not be conducted by the local police. I also urge you to ensure that the victims' families are awarded adequate compensation.

Lastly, I again urge the Government of Pakistan to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture (CAT) as soon as possible in order to prevent the abuse committed by the state officers. Otherwise, the Government of Pakistan will face strong protest of the international community against its presence in the UN Human Rights Council.

Yours truly,


------------------

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. 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
Fax: +92 21 920 1226
E-mail: pvt_secretary@governorsindh.gov.pk (for private secretary of Governor)

5. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000

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

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

8. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)


Thank you.

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


Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID :
UA-106-2007
Countries :
Issues :
Document Actions
Share |
Subscribe to our Mailing List
Follow AHRC
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.