Pakistan must ensure justice to Dr. Aafia; probe her children’s disappearance: HRCP

Press Release, August 12

 

Lahore: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan urges the government of Pakistan to fulfil its duty of ensuring that Dr. Aafia Siddiqui receives full justice, necessary facilities and immediate medical attention. HRCP demands an official investigation into Dr. Siddiqui’s, and her children’s, disappearance and details of their detention - from the point of being picked up in 2003 till the present. HRCP also emphasises that Dr. Siddiqui should not be repatriated to Pakistan against her wishes and be given the full opportunity to contest her case in the US. The fear is that once she has been repatriated to Pakistan she will be pressurised by the intelligence agencies to maintain silence and she will not be able to secure justice. Though it may be a relief that she has been traced there is no information about Dr. Siddiqui’s children. The government must also disclose the whereabouts of her children.

 

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has been following the case of disappearance of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and her three children since early 2003. The information collected by HRCP at that particular time was that in March 2003 Dr. Siddiqui, along with her three children, left her mother’s house in a taxi on her way to the Karachi airport and was picked up by an intelligence agency. What she was accused of when picked up has not been made public. Strangely, the only charge against her is an alleged assault against her captors while in custody.

 

A statement was issued expressing concern on this most heinous violation of human rights and HRCP demanded an explanation from the government. The parents of Dr. Siddiqui were also contacted, who were under sever threat of the intelligence agencies and warned not to speak either to the press or any human rights organization. At one point office bearers of the HRCP contacted the family of Dr. Siddiqui and arranged to meet but at the last minute they expressed their “inability” to see the office bearers despite the fact that the meeting was arranged at their request. Since then HRCP representatives have been in touch with the family and filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court which is still pending. The petition was heard on the 8th of March 2007 and at several subsequent hearings the government expressed their ignorance of the whereabouts of Dr. Siddiqui and her children.

 

HRCP is convinced that Dr. Siddiqui and her three children were picked up from Karachi as is evident from the initial reports and urges the government to now play a positive role in insuring that she gets full justice, fair trial as well as compensation from the government of United States for the mistreatment meted out to her. HRCP appreciates that the Pakistan mission has sought consular access to her yet these belated efforts can only be compensated if the Pakistan government is able to intervene in the courts in the US and submit an honest investigation report

 

HRCP will remain in touch with the legal team defending Dr. Siddiqui and will make all efforts to submit its own reports through her lawyers.

 

The violation of the rights of Dr. Siddiqui and her children, and countless other missing persons, is squarely the responsibility of the government of Pakistan. There is enough evidence indicating that she was initially picked up by the intelligence agencies in Pakistan and therefore it is not only the government of the United States but also the government of Pakistan that must be made accountable for this crime.

 

HRCP fears that the fate of Dr. Siddiqui will be the same as hundreds of others who have disappeared, been tortured and rendered to third countries without following the legal process. Regrettably petitions of hundreds of people in almost similar circumstances are pending in the courts of Pakistan and not in one single case has full justice been delivered. No one has received compensation neither have the perpetrators been brought to justice.

 

Asma Jahangir
Chairperson

Dr. Afia - recent posts and HRCP action

Current information on Dr. Afia Siddiqui

 

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HRCP Press Conference with Dr. Afia’s Sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui

Dawn ( Aug 2008 ) Aafia’s sister rejects US charges

Daily Times ( Aug 2008 ) Dr Aafia was detained, tortured for 5 years: sister

Dawn Opinion ( Nov 2006 ) Where have they vanished?

 

Cross Postings

Teeth Maestro

( Aug 2008 )

-  Dr. Afia - Tortured & Terrorised for five years, but on trial for Assaulting an Officer

 

- FBI admits to kidnapping Dr. Afia Siddiqui, to Afghanistan

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BBC

( Aug 2008 )

-‘Al-Qaeda’ woman appears in court

- Mystery of Siddiqui disappearance

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[FBI Wanted Report, hunting for Dr. Afia]

HRCP urges justice for Dr. Afia and others

Press release, 5 August 2008

 

Lahore: With the US finally admitting custody of Dr. Afia Siddiqi, one of the most brutal cases of suppression of individual freedom has become to unravel, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in a statement on Tuesday.

 

The commission said: Public pressure has at last compelled the United States to admit that Dr. Afia is in their custody.

 

While the Pakistani government has belatedly begun to admit that it had some responsibility towards Dr. Afia, it has a lot of explaining to do as to who had been detaining her and where since she was picked up from Karachi in 2003 along with her three children.

 

To say that she had been taken into custody only on July 21, 2008 is a blatant lie, as transparently ugly as any falsehood can be. The insinuation, that she had been hiding herself since 2003, is a travesty of truth, an affront to people’s commonsense.

 

Dr. Afia’s case is a reminder of the grave injustice done to God knows how many Pakistanis in US detention facilities in Bagram in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and elsewhere, who have been listed as missing.

 

While reminding the government of Pakistan of its duty to trace all people who are reported to be involuntarily disappeared, HRCP calls upon all civil society elements and human rights organizations to make a concerted effort for the release of all missing persons and to ensure that Dr. Afia gets justice, that has long been denied to her and that in a manner no civilized people can condone.

 

Iqbal Haider

Co-chairperson

Colombo Declaration: Freedom and Safety of Media in Conflict Situations

We, the participants at SAARC Journalists Summit-IV on ‘Freedom of media in conflict situations’ in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 30-31, and August 1, 2008, have agreed to adopt the following Colombo Declaration on Freedom and Safety of Journalists:

 

Deeply concerned by attacks on the freedom of media and media persons including murder, deliberate attacks, abductions, hostage-taking, harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest and detention and incitement to violence against them due to their professional activities in the conflict zones and beyond in the South Asian region;

 

Believing that media freedom is inseparable from the fundamental human and civil rights guaranteed by the constitution and enforceable through independent judiciary in a democratic system where both the state and society respect freedoms, show tolerance to dissent and practice pluralism;

 

Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that guarantees freedom of expression as a fundamental right, and confirming that freedom of expression is essential to the realization of other rights set forth in international human rights instruments, and endorsing Resolution 29 entitled “Condemnation of violence against journalists”, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 12 November 1997 that calls on Member States to uphold their obligations to prevent, investigate and punish crimes against journalists,

 

Endorsing the adoption by the Security Council of the United Nations of Resolution 1738 on 23 December 2006 calling on all parties to an armed conflict to fulfill their obligations towards journalists under international law, including the need to prevent impunity for crimes against them and further requesting the Secretary-General to include as a sub-item in his next reports the issue of the safety and security of media professionals and organisations;

 

Taking note of hitches and obstacles to transition to full democracy in the countries of the region, such as Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan;

 

Disturbed over the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the tribal belt of Pakistan and urging the concerned authorities and security agencies to take appropriate measures against extremism, terrorism and intolerance, avoiding, however, collateral damage to people in general and journalists in particular;

 

Concerned about the increasing tide of intolerance by state and non-state violent elements against free expression among the member countries of SAARC;

Longest sentence to juvenile is 28 years imprisonment: AGHS

‘Longest sentence to juvenile is 28 years imprisonment’
Courtesy Daily Times - 23 July 2008

* AGHS report says youngest child in jail is eight years old
* AGHS director says a lot needs to be done for betterment of child prisoners

LAHORE: The longest sentence given to a juvenile in 2007 for murder is 28 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 65,000, given by the Additional Session Judge Mandi Bahauddin, an AGHS report at the Lahore Press Club revealed on Tuesday.

The report said that the shortest sentence awarded to a juvenile was for a period of seven days for contravening orders given by the Faisalabad deputy district revenue officer.

The report on children in Punjab prisons has been complied on the basis of information collected from 29 prisons of the province. The report said that the total number of children found in 2007 was 8,098. The number of children admitted to the prisons from January until December was 2,460.

Youngest: The report revealed that the youngest child already in prison in 2007 was an eight-year old who was detained in the Sahiwal Central Jail for murder. It said that the youngest child to be admitted to prison in 2007 was also an eight-year old child who has been detained in the Bahawalnagar District Jail for murder since October 2007, and his case was to be processed until the end of the year.

The report said that there had been a decline in the number of imprisoned children in the 7-11 age bracket. The report said that the total number of convicted children found in the Faisalabad Borstal Institute in 2007 was 619, and that the AGHS had received information about six female child prisoners throughout the year. The report said that they could not receive information regarding most female juveniles as they were detained in the Multan Women Jail. The report said that AGHS had identified 82 cases from the prison data, which required intervention and relief.

Director: AGHS Director Hina Jilani said more should be done for the betterment of children prisoners. She said that the probation department’s role should be made effective, and that children should not be given rigorous imprisonments. The practice still continued in jails and needed to be addressed, she argued. She also said that children who were kept in jail on sexual harassment charges should not be imprisoned with other younger children.

Jilani said that the children who remained with their mothers in jail also needed the authorities’ attention for rehabilitation. She said that the role of a probation officer was quite important in the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) but they were not playing any role, and the police did not inform them when it arrested a child. She said that children in jails were deprived of health facilities and they should be provided with it. Jilani said that the visitors, who came to see the children, should be checked in order to determine whether they were the children’s relatives or criminals. She said that it was also the responsibility of the state to provide juveniles before and under trial with legal aid.

Update: Pakistani woman detained in China for 3 months deported

UPDATE to the blogpost HRCP urges PM’s action over Pakistani women detained in Afghanistan, China:

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We have received information that Ms. Zalkaf Begum, who had been in detention in China for three months after losing her passport and overstaying her visa duration and who remained still in prison after an emergency passport was issued to her because she was unable to pay for her return to Pakistan, has been deported back to Pakistan by the Chinese Authorities.

 

The costs of air ticket and miscellaneous having been borne by the Chinese Authorities and not the Pakistan government. The Pakistani consulate had declared that it had no funds for the air ticket.

 

According to the information, Zalkaf Begum has requested a low profile and does not wish the issue to be ‘exaggerated’ so that her privacy, and that of her family, may be protected.

HRCP urges PM’s action over Pakistani women detained in Afghanistan, China

Press Release, 9 July 2008

 

Lahore: The Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) has called upon the prime minister to intervene on behalf of two Pakistani women, one detained in China and the other at the US-run Bagram airbase detention centre in Afghanistan.

 

No one has seen the Pakistani woman detained at Bagram for the last four years, but a number of former prisoners at Bagram have confirmed a Pakistani woman prisoner at Bagram and claimed hearing her screams.

 

Reportedly registered as prisoner number 650, her state of mind or the extent of abuse or torture she has suffered remains unknown.

 

The government must use its status as a leading US ally in the so-called war on terror to get details about the detained woman from Washington and ensure that her illegal detention ends without delay, and she is brought to Pakistan as soon as possible.

 

The other woman, Ms. Zalkaf Begum, a resident of village Sahoke, Tehsil Nowshera Virkan, district Gujranwala, has been in detention in China for three months after losing her passport and overstaying her visa duration.

 

Her case was brought to the attention of Pakistan’s Consulate in Beijing, which took almost two months to issue an emergency passport for her deportation to Pakistan.

 

She does not have the financial means to pay for her travel back to Pakistan. The Chinese authorities will not pay for the cost of deportation and will continue to detain her until someone pays for the air ticket. The Pakistani Consulate advises that it has no funds for the air ticket. Ms. Zalkaf is in poor health.

 

It is the responsibility of Pakistan missions to assist the country’s citizens who find themselves in trouble in a foreign country. Funds must be released immediately so that she can be repatriated to Pakistan at the earliest.

 

A civilized country shall never abandon its citizens or allow them to be treated in this manner. The government must act decisively to ensure that the rights of Pakistani citizens detained abroad are duly respected.

Asma Jahangir, Chairperson

Iqbal Haider, Co-chairperson

HRCP to govt: Protect, not detain, journalists

Press Release, 8 July 2008

                                       

Lahore: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has demanded the government ensure immediate safety measures for journalists, especially those working in the tribal areas, allowing them to work without fear or intimidation from state agents or non-state actors.

 

Following the abduction by Taliban of two journalists on Friday, their release later the same day, their immediate detention by the Mohmand Agency political authorities and eventual release on Monday night, an HRCP statement said: The reported detention of journalists Zubair Shah and Akhtar Soomro by the political authorities in Mohmand after their release by the Taliban demonstrates the significant hurdles journalists face at the hands of extremists and government agents alike.

 

Instead of adding to the difficulties journalists already face in performing their duties in the tribal areas, the government must ensure the security of life to journalists from Taliban and other extremists, and prevent state agents from harassing or abducting them.

 

The life and security of all citizens is the government’s responsibility, more so of journalists, especially in the tribal areas because they ensure that information about those areas does get to the people. The government must surely be aware of the consequences if such information becomes unavailable.

 

HRCP also calls upon foreign journalists and media teams visiting Pakistan for reporting on the situation in the tribal areas not to jeopardise the safety of local journalists working for them.

 

In view of the volatile security situation, journalists should also consider their personal safety before agreeing to work as stingers or “fixers” in the tribal areas.

 

Iqbal Haider, Co-chairperson

HRCP delegation met with the Chief Minister of Sindh

HRCP delegation met with the Chief Minister of Sindh

 

HRCP has been holding consultations on human rights issues confronting the country. With a new democratically elected government in power, HRCP believes it is time to share concerns and proposals with political leaders.

 

Therefore, a delegation of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan headed by Iqbal Haider, Co-Chairperson HRCP, comprising of Uzma Noorani, Asad Iqbal Butt, Sindh Council Members of HRCP, and Ejaz Ahsan, Program Coordinator, HRCP had a meeting with Mr. Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh at CM House on June 5, 2008.

 

HRCP delegation shared a copy of policy statement of HRCP on critical issues of human rights, for the consideration and support of PPP leadership . This policy statement was adopted by the General Body at HRCP’s Annual General Meeting held recently.

 

CM promised moving necessary resolutions and bill for legislation wherever required, for expeditious implementation of the recommendations of HRCP on human rights issues.

 

HRCP also expressed concern over marrying off 15 under-age girls to settle tribal dispute through a jirga held in Chach village, Kashmore-Kandhkot and demanded that the provincial government take immediate action against all those responsible for the illegal and inhuman decisions and ensure immediate release of the minor girls.

 

Iqbal Haider also presented the recently published, Annual Report of HRCP “State of Human Rights in 2007″ to the CM.

 

Policy Statement of HRCP

Speech of Muneer Malik, former president of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association at the award ceremony at South Korea

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, AHRC-ANM-006-2008
June 2, 2008

An Announcement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

 

ASIA: Speech of the Mr. Muneer Malik, former president of Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association at the award ceremony at Gwangju at South Korea

 

We wish to share with you the following speech of Mr. Muneer Malik, delivered on his acceptance of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. He received the human rights award on May 18, 2008 on the occasion of the 518 International Solidarity Program, held in commemoration of the great people’s movement in Gwangju, South Korea against the military dictatorship and for democracy.

 

Valedictory Speech of Munir Malik