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UPDATE (Pakistan): Torture victim abducted after testifying about abuse

October 6, 2006

NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new 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.]

 

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Update on Urgent Appeal

6 October 2006

[RE: UA-171-2006: PAKISTAN: Twelve persons disappeared following their arrest by the police]
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UP-191-2006: PAKISTAN: Torture victim abducted after testifying about abuse

PAKISTAN: Enforced disappearance; torture; impunity; un-rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wants to inform you about an alleged illegal arrest and subsequent enforced disappearance of Mr. Abid Raza Zaidi by the elite force personnel in Lahore, Punjab province on 4 October 2006. The victim's enforced disappearance took place soon after he gave his testimony about his earlier illegal arrest, prolonged 110 day detention and constant brutal torture by the army and police officers at the conference jointly organised by Amnesty International and a local organization called Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from 30 September to 1 October 2006.  To date he was not been produced before any court of law and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Mr. Abid Raza Zaidi (aged 23), PhD student of University of Karachi has been missing since he was arrested by the elite force, the special force against terrorism, on 4 October 2006 from Lahore, the capital city of Punjab province, Pakistan. To date he was not been produced before any court of law. This is his second arrest by the special force.

Before his arrest and subsequent disappearance, Mr. Zaidi attended a two day conference on "disappearances and torture" jointly organised by Amnesty International and a local organization called Human Rights Commission of Pakistan held from 30 September to 1 October 2006 at Islamabad. During conference he narrated the whole story of his first arrest, illegal detention and torture in relation with a bomb blast case of 11 April 2006 of Nishter Park, Karachi, Sindh province. He was arrested on 26 April 2006 and was disappeared along with 12 persons of the Shia sect of Islam. He was released on 18 August 2006 after illegally being detained for 110 days in different military torture camps. During this period, he was never produced before any court of law. To see details of the victim's first arrest, please refer to our previous appeal: UA-171-2006.

Mr. Zaidi testified at the conference that he was taken from his home on 26 April 2006 at night by plain cloth persons and taken blind folded to a military camp in Karachi. He was then tortured by army officers to confess to the bomb blast at a religious gathering on 11 April 2006 at Nishter Park, where 55 persons were killed. He also testified that army officers accused him of masterminding the blast. Mr. Zaidi also reported that several times he was taken blind folded to different cities of Pakistan by an army airplane and produced before several army and police officers for interrogations and all times he was tortured. He remembered that one time, some law enforcement agency persons were talking themselves that they were in Multan, Punjab province. Mr. Zaidi was very brave to tell the people at the conference about whole story of his illegal arrest, prolonged detention and brutal torture and showed them marks of torture on his body.

After the conference, Mr. Zaidi went to see his sister Mrs. Fatima, who lives at Islam Pura Ansari road, Lahore, Punjab province on 3 October 2006. On the following night, some persons in plain clothes raided his sister's house and took Mr. Zaidi along with his maternal uncle Mr. Javed Zaidi to unknown place. His uncle was then released at 11 o'clock that night, while Mr. Zaidi was taken to another unknown place. The uncle reported that during his custody, the person from the elite force shouted at MR. Zaidi saying, "how you dared to tell at the conference about your torture and disappearance. Now you will face the good torture".  Since his illegal arrest, Mr. Zaidi's whereabouts remain unknown. His family fear that he might be subjected to brutal torture again and his life is in grave risk. 

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:

Enforced disappearance of persons following illegal arrest is a common phenomenon in Pakistan since the military government took power in 1999. For example, For example, in Balochistan province alone where Pakistan army conduct on-going military operations, the Federal Minister of the Interior reported that 4,000 people have been arrested since 2001. The actual number of the arrested will be much higher when the disappearance cases are included. Out of 4,000 persons, only less than 200 people have been produced to the courts. 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 and UA -132-2006.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to relevant authorities listed below and urge them to take immediate intervention to locate the victim and ensure his release. Please also urge them to inquire about the incident and bring those responsible for the victim's illegal arrest and disappearance.

To support this appeal, please click:

Sample letter:

Dear __________,

PAKISTAN: A torture victim arrested again and remains disappeared after testifying his case to human rights groups

Name of the victim: Mr. Abid Raza Zaidi, aged 23, PhD student of University of Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan
Alleged perpetrators: Elite force personnel, the special force made against terrorism
Date of incident: 4 October 2006
Place of incident: House of the victim's sister at Islam Pura Ansari road, Lahore, Punjab province

I am writing to draw your urgent attention regarding the illegal arrest and subsequent enforced disappearance of Mr. Abid Raza Zaidi by the elite force personnel in Lahore, Punjab province on 4 October 2006. To date he was not been produced before any court of law.

I am so disturbed to learn that his enforced disappearance took place after he gave his testimony about his earlier illegal arrest and prolonged detention by the army and police officers at the conference jointly organised by Amnesty International and a local organization called Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from 30 September to 1 October 2006. 

Prior to this incident, the victim had been arrested on 26 April 2006 along with 12 persons of the Shia sect of Islam of suspicion of being involved in a bomb blast case of 11 April 2006 in Nishter Park, Karachi, Sindh province. He was released on 18 August 2006 after illegally being detained and torture for 110 days in different military torture camps. During this period, he was never produced before any court of law.

After the conference, the victim went to see his sister Mrs Fatima, who lives at Islam Pura Ansari road, Lahore, Punjab province on 3 October 2006 and on the following night he was arrested by some persons in plain clothes along with his maternal uncle Mr. Javed Zaidi. According to the victim's uncle who was released on the same night, the person from the elite force shouted at the victim, "how you dared to tell at the conference about your torture and disappearance. Now you will face the good torture". Till date, Mr. Zaidi's whereabouts remain unknown.

I am deeply concerned about the victim's security and strongly believe that his life is in grave risk. I therefore strongly urge you to take prompt action to locate the victim's whereabouts and ensure his prompt release. I also urge you to identify the elite force personnel responsible for the victim's illegal arrest and forced disappearance and bring them to justice as soon as possible.

I am aware that enforced disappearance of persons following illegal arrest is a common phenomenon in Pakistan. For example, I was informed that only in Balochistan province where the Pakistan army conduct on-going military operations, the Federal Minister of the Interior reported that 4,000 people have been arrested since 2001. The actual number of the arrested will be much higher when the disappearance cases are included. Out of 4,000 persons, only less than 200 people have been produced to the courts. In Sindh province, several journalists and political & human rights activists have been disappeared after their arrests. I therefore strongly urge the Pakistan government to take all measures to stop the common practice of forced disappearances committed by the law enforcement officers.

As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, the Pakistan government must take genuine action to deal with this serious matter, protect the rights of the people and provide effective remedies to the victims. I also urge the Pakistan government to ratify the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and implement it into domestic level to prevent such violations in the future.

Yours sincerely,


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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. Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 920 2819
Fax: + 92 51 920 3119

4. 8. Justice Iftekhar Choudhry
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Supreme Court building
Islam abad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452

5. Lt. General Khalid Maqbool
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Mall Road, Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 9200023
E-mail: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk

6. Mr. Choudhry Pervez Ihhahi
Chief Minister of Punjab
Chief Minister House
Lahore
PAKISTAN

7. Chief Secretary of Government of Punjab
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 7324489
E-mail: chiefsecy@punjab.gov.pk 

7. Mr. Khusro Pervez Khan
Home secretary
Punjab Secretariat
Lahore
PAKISTAN
E-mail: home@punjab.gov.pk 

8. Prof. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
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 Update
Document ID :
UP-191-2006
Countries :
Issues :
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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.