IN-NEWS
Updates from and about Pakistan around the world
“International Day of the Disappeared Persons and Pakistan”
Zulfiqar Halepoto
August 30 is an annual commemoration day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals detained or imprisoned, at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives. Enforced or Involuntary disappearances, Imprisonment and illegal detention under secret or uncertain circumstances is a grave violation of basic conceptions of human rights, Internatonal Humanatarian Law and the Constitution of Pakistan.
According to media reports and Human Rights organization’s unofficial record estimates, around 9000 political activists, relatives of political leaders and ordinary citizens of Pakistan have disappeared since Pakistan joined the United State-led war on terrorism in 2001. Balochistan, Sindh and NWFP’s tribal areas are the worst victim of military and intelligence agency’s operations.
Protest of women, children and the elderly mothers and fathers holding placards demanding the return of loved ones is a common exercise in front of all the main Press Clubs of Pakistan, Parliament and Supreme court buildings. We every day see their pictures in neswpapers, their anger on the electrnic channles but government and intellegence agencies are silent.
HRCP, Amensty International, International Crisis Group and other leading national and international level human rights forums are calling it as sever crisis for the state as the issue of Musharraf’s uniform is.
In this dark situation only one institution of the state, the judiciary has come forward to play its mandatory role ideally when on 26 March 2007, Supreme Court of Pakistan asked the government to provide information about tens of people who have been missing after being taken into custody allegedly by the Pakistan security agencies within two weeks.
It is time to celebrate the valour and resolve of the courage and integrity of the Higher Judiciary that has snatched many disappeared people from the jaws of intelligence agencies, defied the military government, stopped general Musharraf in his tracks and given to millions of Pakistanis a new hope of just society and a better Pakistan.
Now we demand that that list of all missing people should be made public, all the disappeared shall be brought to the conventional courts of law, an independent tribunal consisting of Supreme Court, members of Parliament and representatives of Human Rights organisations should be formed and finally Pakistan must sign (ratify) The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, which obliges governments to take “effective legislative, administrative, judicial, or other measures to prevent and terminate acts of enforced or involentry disappearance in any territory under its jurisdiction.”
Zulfiqar Halepoto
Secretary
Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)
Office: ++ 92 222 7878 80-1
Fax: ++ 92 222 783 751
Res: ++ ++ 92 223 867 545
Cell: &nb! sp; ; ++ 92 300 8377241
zhalepoto@yahoo.com
Related Articles & News
-Man Appeals for Recovery of Son, The Daily Dawn, April 29, 2007
-SC to Prepare Policy for Intelligence Agencies’ Control, The Daily Times, April 28, 2007
-Missing People Report by 26th Ordered, The Daily Dawn, April 24, 2007
-IKA Condemns the Disappearances of People in Kotli, April 24, 2007
-‘Disappearance’ Cases, The Daily Dawn, April 23, 2007
-Missing Persons Case: SC Hints at Calling Agencies’ Heads, The Daily Times, April 21, 2007
-Court Summons Top Officials over Disappearances: DAG Accuses Ministry of Non-Compliance, The Daily Dawn, April 21, 2007
-Increasing ‘Disappearances’, April 14, 2007
-PAKISTAN: Four Persons Missing including a Political Activist and a Journalist in Balochistan, April 13, 2007
-Denial of Minorities Religious Rights continues in Pakistan, April 2, 2007
-National Body must Probe Pakistan’s ‘Disappeared’, The Daily Times, March 30, 2007
-Innocent Citizens are still being Disappeared, March 29, 2007
-Forced Disappearances, The Daily Dawn, March 29, 2007
-PPP Rejects Musharraf’s Claim on Disappearances, The Daily Dawn, March 29, 2007
-Who took the ‘Disappeared’ People?, The Daily Times, March 29, 2007
-Pakistan Expatriates Express C! oncern o ver Judicial Crisis back Home, Malaysia Sun, March 24, 2007
Zulfiqar Halepoto
August 30 is an annual commemoration day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals detained or imprisoned, at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives. Enforced or Involuntary disappearances, Imprisonment and illegal detention under secret or uncertain circumstances is a grave violation of basic conceptions of human rights, Internatonal Humanatarian Law and the Constitution of Pakistan.
According to media reports and Human Rights organization’s unofficial record estimates, around 9000 political activists, relatives of political leaders and ordinary citizens of Pakistan have disappeared since Pakistan joined the United State-led war on terrorism in 2001. Balochistan, Sindh and NWFP’s tribal areas are the worst victim of military and intelligence agency’s operations.
Protest of women, children and the elderly mothers and fathers holding placards demanding the return of loved ones is a common exercise in front of all the main Press Clubs of Pakistan, Parliament and Supreme court buildings. We every day see their pictures in neswpapers, their anger on the electrnic channles but government and intellegence agencies are silent.
HRCP, Amensty International, International Crisis Group and other leading national and international level human rights forums are calling it as sever crisis for the state as the issue of Musharraf’s uniform is.
In this dark situation only one institution of the state, the judiciary has come forward to play its mandatory role ideally when on 26 March 2007, Supreme Court of Pakistan asked the government to provide information about tens of people who have been missing after being taken into custody allegedly by the Pakistan security agencies within two weeks.
It is time to celebrate the valour and resolve of the courage and integrity of the Higher Judiciary that has snatched many disappeared people from the jaws of intelligence agencies, defied the military government, stopped general Musharraf in his tracks and given to millions of Pakistanis a new hope of just society and a better Pakistan.
Now we demand that that list of all missing people should be made public, all the disappeared shall be brought to the conventional courts of law, an independent tribunal consisting of Supreme Court, members of Parliament and representatives of Human Rights organisations should be formed and finally Pakistan must sign (ratify) The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, which obliges governments to take “effective legislative, administrative, judicial, or other measures to prevent and terminate acts of enforced or involentry disappearance in any territory under its jurisdiction.”
Zulfiqar Halepoto
Secretary
Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF)
Office: ++ 92 222 7878 80-1
Fax: ++ 92 222 783 751
Res: ++ ++ 92 223 867 545
Cell: &nb! sp; ; ++ 92 300 8377241
zhalepoto@yahoo.com
Related Articles & News
-Man Appeals for Recovery of Son, The Daily Dawn, April 29, 2007
-SC to Prepare Policy for Intelligence Agencies’ Control, The Daily Times, April 28, 2007
-Missing People Report by 26th Ordered, The Daily Dawn, April 24, 2007
-IKA Condemns the Disappearances of People in Kotli, April 24, 2007
-‘Disappearance’ Cases, The Daily Dawn, April 23, 2007
-Missing Persons Case: SC Hints at Calling Agencies’ Heads, The Daily Times, April 21, 2007
-Court Summons Top Officials over Disappearances: DAG Accuses Ministry of Non-Compliance, The Daily Dawn, April 21, 2007
-Increasing ‘Disappearances’, April 14, 2007
-PAKISTAN: Four Persons Missing including a Political Activist and a Journalist in Balochistan, April 13, 2007
-Denial of Minorities Religious Rights continues in Pakistan, April 2, 2007
-National Body must Probe Pakistan’s ‘Disappeared’, The Daily Times, March 30, 2007
-Innocent Citizens are still being Disappeared, March 29, 2007
-Forced Disappearances, The Daily Dawn, March 29, 2007
-PPP Rejects Musharraf’s Claim on Disappearances, The Daily Dawn, March 29, 2007
-Who took the ‘Disappeared’ People?, The Daily Times, March 29, 2007
-Pakistan Expatriates Express C! oncern o ver Judicial Crisis back Home, Malaysia Sun, March 24, 2007
World Sindhi Institute (WSI)
Sindhi and Balochi Disappeared on C-SPAN2 - Friday, Aug 31 - 6:55 AM
Khalid Hashmani
McLean, Virginia, USA
Piyara Dosto,
Washington DC, August 30, 2007 -- Early today (3 PM to 5 PM), the World Sindhi Institute (WSI) and United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) held a well-attended seminar on the occasion of United Nations "International Day of the Disappeared" the Cannon House building of the US Congress. Although, the focus of the seminar was "enforced disappearance" in all of the world, much of the discussion concentrated on Sindh, Balocistan, and rest of Pakistan. The seminar was covered by Reuters and US Congress supported C-SPAN TV channel, that is broadcast on cable throughout the USA. According to the C-Span web site:
06:55 AM EDT 1:54 (est.)Forum
World Sindhi Institute
The full two-hour program will be broadcast on C-SPAN2 at 6:55 AM (Eastern) on Friday, August 31, 2007. Please be sure not to miss important program that talks about the worst of worse human rights violation and the plight of the victims of the enforced disappearance including our own Dr. Safdar Saraki, Asif Baladi, and others.
I attended the seminar and participated in ensuing discussion about the immense cruelty and brutality that the state crime of "enforced disappearance" entails and what can be done to bring an end to this dreadful practice that is a black mark of the current human civilization.
The seminar was very ably moderated Ms. HUMAIRA RAHMAN, who from time to time interjected figures and stories about the Sindhi and Balochi victims.
Mr. DAVID SMITH, Deputy Director for Asia and Pacific of United Nations Information Center, who is a journalist by profession, talked about many sad stories about the "made to disappear" victims in Argentina during the dirty war by the state against political dissidents. He said it was not a pleasure to attend this session as it reminds every one of a cruel practice that has victimized many in several countries. He said that the world should never forget the victims and forgive those who perpetuated the crime of enforced disappearance. He said we should always remember victims and their sad mothers, sisters and wives, who walk along with the pictures of their disappeared loved ones in some countries every day. He called the practice of "enforced disappearance" a chilling and deeply disturbing practice.
Mr. T. KUMAR, Advocacy Director for Asia and Pacific, Amnesty International, USA talked about chilling incidents in Pakistan, India and other countries. He single out Pakistan for the worst form of human rights violations in that only in Pakistan, the protesting and inquiring families of victims of enforced disappearances have been attacked and jailed by state forces. He also criticized USA for engaging in the similar practices in the post 9/11 era. He strongly reiterated that Amnesty international will not condone any country and will publicize the plight of victims and its criticism, regardless of how powerful are those countries. He added that on the contrary, the most powerful and the most richer and democratic countries should be criticized more as other countries use the example of democratic countries to justify their brutal actions.
Mr. HASAN MUJTBA, a well-known Sindhi journalist and current correspondent of BBC service (Urdu) provided a history of enforced disappearance in Pakistan and told stories of several Sindhi victims of the enforced disappeared. He said that after what has happened to Dr. SAFDAR SARKI, many Sindhi, Balochi, and other Pakistani political workers and activists, who now live outside of Pakistan, are not visiting Pakistan, due to their fears of becoming a victim of enforced disappearance. While talking about stories about Mr. Chetan and G. M. Bhagal, he added that far more brutal treatment awaits Hindu, Sindhi, and progressive activists in Pakistan.
In the one-hour discussion (Question-and-answer session) that followed the panelists, many people asked questions about the recent International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
There was discussion about which countries have rectified the Convention and which have not? As no one had any confirmed information, several people stated that they will pursue their governments and put pressure on them to rectify the agreement.
Regards,
Sindhi and Balochi Disappeared on C-SPAN2 - Friday, Aug 31 - 6:55 AM
Khalid Hashmani
McLean, Virginia, USA
Piyara Dosto,
Washington DC, August 30, 2007 -- Early today (3 PM to 5 PM), the World Sindhi Institute (WSI) and United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) held a well-attended seminar on the occasion of United Nations "International Day of the Disappeared" the Cannon House building of the US Congress. Although, the focus of the seminar was "enforced disappearance" in all of the world, much of the discussion concentrated on Sindh, Balocistan, and rest of Pakistan. The seminar was covered by Reuters and US Congress supported C-SPAN TV channel, that is broadcast on cable throughout the USA. According to the C-Span web site:
06:55 AM EDT 1:54 (est.)Forum
World Sindhi Institute
The full two-hour program will be broadcast on C-SPAN2 at 6:55 AM (Eastern) on Friday, August 31, 2007. Please be sure not to miss important program that talks about the worst of worse human rights violation and the plight of the victims of the enforced disappearance including our own Dr. Safdar Saraki, Asif Baladi, and others.
I attended the seminar and participated in ensuing discussion about the immense cruelty and brutality that the state crime of "enforced disappearance" entails and what can be done to bring an end to this dreadful practice that is a black mark of the current human civilization.
The seminar was very ably moderated Ms. HUMAIRA RAHMAN, who from time to time interjected figures and stories about the Sindhi and Balochi victims.
Mr. DAVID SMITH, Deputy Director for Asia and Pacific of United Nations Information Center, who is a journalist by profession, talked about many sad stories about the "made to disappear" victims in Argentina during the dirty war by the state against political dissidents. He said it was not a pleasure to attend this session as it reminds every one of a cruel practice that has victimized many in several countries. He said that the world should never forget the victims and forgive those who perpetuated the crime of enforced disappearance. He said we should always remember victims and their sad mothers, sisters and wives, who walk along with the pictures of their disappeared loved ones in some countries every day. He called the practice of "enforced disappearance" a chilling and deeply disturbing practice.
Mr. T. KUMAR, Advocacy Director for Asia and Pacific, Amnesty International, USA talked about chilling incidents in Pakistan, India and other countries. He single out Pakistan for the worst form of human rights violations in that only in Pakistan, the protesting and inquiring families of victims of enforced disappearances have been attacked and jailed by state forces. He also criticized USA for engaging in the similar practices in the post 9/11 era. He strongly reiterated that Amnesty international will not condone any country and will publicize the plight of victims and its criticism, regardless of how powerful are those countries. He added that on the contrary, the most powerful and the most richer and democratic countries should be criticized more as other countries use the example of democratic countries to justify their brutal actions.
Mr. HASAN MUJTBA, a well-known Sindhi journalist and current correspondent of BBC service (Urdu) provided a history of enforced disappearance in Pakistan and told stories of several Sindhi victims of the enforced disappeared. He said that after what has happened to Dr. SAFDAR SARKI, many Sindhi, Balochi, and other Pakistani political workers and activists, who now live outside of Pakistan, are not visiting Pakistan, due to their fears of becoming a victim of enforced disappearance. While talking about stories about Mr. Chetan and G. M. Bhagal, he added that far more brutal treatment awaits Hindu, Sindhi, and progressive activists in Pakistan.
In the one-hour discussion (Question-and-answer session) that followed the panelists, many people asked questions about the recent International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
There was discussion about which countries have rectified the Convention and which have not? As no one had any confirmed information, several people stated that they will pursue their governments and put pressure on them to rectify the agreement.
Regards,
