Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you that the police in Pakistan arrested a journalist from his hospital bed, where he was receiving treatment for bullet shot wounds. The police arrested the journalist without the permission of the hospital and took him to the Ghotki Sarhad police station where they charged him in relation to a kidnapping case. The kidnapping case has been open since 1998, and the journalists name was never mentioned during investigations into it. The journalist remains in a serious condition yet is receiving no medicines while detained at the Sukkur Jail.
Mr. Naveed Ahmed, a local staff reporter for the Daily Koshish, the Sindhi language newspaper, was shot and injured in Razi Dero city of Gumbat sub-district by four unknown persons riding on two motorcycles on 19 July 2006. While in Gumbat hospital being treated for the gunshot wounds, on July 22 Mr. Naveed was arrested by the Sarhad police. The police did not ask permission for Mr. Naveeds early release and took him into their custody regardless. Fellow journalists, who were present at the time of arrest, tried to resist the action. However, as there were approximately 12 police officers present, the journalists were unable to stop the police who dragged Mr. Naveed out of the hospital, put him in a van and drove 60 kilometres to the Sarhad police station.
Upon arriving at the police station, Mr. Naveed was implicated in a kidnapping case, which had been open since 1998. After being detained at the police station for a day, in which time he was denied any medical assistance, Mr. Naveed was then produced before the Judicial Magistrate and then sent to Sukkur Jail, which is a further 30 kilometres away. The Jail authorities provided some basic medical supplies from the jail dispensary but would not allow Mr. Naveed to be transferred to a hospital. His situation remains very serious as he has lost a great deal of blood and needs to be treated for this.
The man who registered the case of kidnapping in 1998, Mr. Nazeer Millan says that he never mentioned Mr. Naveeds name. He also says that the police have done little to pursue his case in the time that it has been pending, and yet suddenly they have made this arrest and are taking action. The journalists union of the district believes that this is the method used by the police, whereby they ensure that pending cases remain open and then implicate innocent persons in these, when it is to their benefit.
Additional information:
Mr. Naveed is a vocal and prominent journalist in the district and has repeatedly reported on police atrocities against poor people in Sindh province. He has also reported several cases of financial corruption by local authorities, particularly about the Shah Lateef University Khairpur Campus. Through such reporting 20 cases of corruption have been registered. The provincial government and district authorities, including the police were put in a difficult position due to Mr. Naveeds reporting.
In Sindh Province journalists are continuously under immense pressure from the government, its ministers and local authorities. On 6 June 2006 Mr. Sarmad of Sindh television was beaten and seriously injured and his office was ransacked by men associated with provincial minister, Shrab Sarki and former federal minister, Bijarani. Mr. Paryal Dayo of the Daily Kawish was also shot and injured by the police head constable in Sukkur. Mr. Mukesh Rupeta and Mr. Sanjay Kumar of Geo television channel were arrested in March 2006 from Jackobabad district and kept in a military torture cell for three months for making a documentary on the Shehbaz Airport which is being used by US war planes. Mr. Muneer Sangi, a local journalist in Sanghar, was killed by the men of provincial minister Mr. Unar in June 2006.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send letters of concern to the authorities listed below urging them to ensure that an investigation is conducted into Mr. Naveeds arrest. If it is found that he has no connection with the said kidnapping, then the charges should be withdrawn at once. Further, Mr. Naveed must receive the medical attention that he requires with no further delay.
In addition, please ask the authorities to take action against the misuse of power by persons against media representatives in the region.
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To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear _____________,
PAKISTAN: Journalist shot and injured by unknown persons and then arbitrarily arrested on charges of kidnapping
Name of victim: Mr. Naveed Ahmed, reporter for the Daily Koshish at Ghotki, residing in Khairpur Mirs, Sindh.
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Station House Officer of Sarhad Police Station, Ghotki district
2. District Police Officer of Ghotki district
Date of arbitrary arrest: 22 July 2006
Victim being held at: Sukkur Jail
I write to you in regards to the shooting and arbitrary arrest of a journalist in Pakistan. Mr. Naveed Ahmed, a local staff reporter for the Daily Koshish, the Sindhi language newspaper, was shot and injured in Razi Dero city of Gumbat sub-district by four unknown persons riding on two motorcycles on 19 July 2006. While in Gumbat hospital being treated for the gunshot wounds, on July 22 Mr. Naveed was arrested by the Sarhad police. The police did not ask permission for Mr. Naveeds early release and took him into their custody regardless. Fellow journalists, who were present at the time of arrest, tried to resist the action. However, as there were approximately 12 police officers present, the journalists were unable to stop the police who dragged Mr. Naveed out of the hospital, put him in a van and drove 60 kilometres to the Sarhad police station.
Upon arriving at the police station, Mr. Naveed was implicated in a kidnapping case, which had been open since 1998. After being detained at the police station for a day, in which time he was denied any medical assistance, Mr. Naveed was then produced before the Judicial Magistrate and then sent to Sukkur Jail, which is a further 30 kilometres away. The Jail authorities provided some basic medical supplies from the jail dispensary but would not allow Mr. Naveed to be transferred to a hospital. His situation remains very serious as he has lost a great deal of blood and needs to be treated for this.
The man who registered the case of kidnapping in 1998, Mr. Nazeer Millan says that he never mentioned Mr. Naveeds name. He also says that the police have done little to pursue his case in the time that it has been pending, and yet suddenly they have made this arrest and are taking action. The journalists union of the district believes that this is the method used by the police, whereby they ensure that pending cases remain open and then implicate innocent persons in these, when it is to their benefit.
In light of the apparent misuse of power by the police and owing to Mr. Naveeds serious medical condition, I ask that you intervene in this matter at once. I urge you to ensure that an investigation is conducted into Mr. Naveeds arrest. If it is found that he has no connection with the said kidnapping, then the charges should be withdrawn immediately and he should be released. Further, Mr. Naveed must receive the medical attention that he requires with no further delay.
In addition, I ask you to use your authority to take action against the misuse of power by persons against media representatives in the region. Journalists must be free to report on matters affecting the people of the country, without fear of attack by persons in authority.
Yours sincerely,
____________________________
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
Presidents Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: (please see – http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)
2. Mr. Ashfaq Gondal
Principal Information Officer to President of Pakistan
President Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 927 008
3. 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
4. Mr. Justice Iftekhar Choudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Supreme Court building
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 921 3452
5. Mr. Justice Sabih Uddin
Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 921 3220
Email: info@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
6. Mr. Ishrat-ul- Ibad Khan
Governor
Government of Sindh
Governor House Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 21 920 1201
Email: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk
7. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 21 9202000
8. Mrs. Saira Karim
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 920 2819
Fax: + 92 51 920 3119
9. Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Attn: J Deriviero
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9177
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION)
10. Ms Leila Zerrougui
Chairperson
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTENTION: WORKING GROUP ARBITRARY DETENTION)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
