Islamabad - Insani Huqooq Ittehad (IHI), an Islamabad-based civil society network of organisations and individuals, has strongly condemned the abduction and torture to death of young Sindhi political activists throughout the province.
In a statement released in Islamabad, IHI noted that the situation in Sindh is alarming and concerning for human rights’ defenders and civil society. During last thirty days ten cruelly-tortured dead bodies of the abducted political activists have been found in Sindh, most of them were young boys in their teens. During last one week situation has further worsened after the mutilated dead bodies of six more abducted political activists were found at different locations.
These include dead bodies of Asif Panhwar, Waheed Lashari, Paryal Shah, Faheem Bhutto, Wajid Langah, Kamran Memon and Sarwech Pirzado. Other activists Rohail Laghari, Kamlesh and Asghar Laghari are still missing and allegedly in detention at unidentified places. The relatives of all those killed persons have termed these murders as extra judicial killings. So far there has not been any evidence of the criminal track record of those abducted workers, most of whom were university students.
The IHI considers these killings as blatant infringement of the international law and constitution of Pakistan. Article 4, Clause 2 (a) of the Constitution of Pakistan states that “No action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law.” Besides that, Pakistan is also a party to International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 6 of the Covenant says “every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.”
As concerned civil society, IHI demands that extra-judicial killings should be stopped and the abducted workers should be brought to the court of law for proper legal procedures if they have any criminal track record. “The killings are tantamount to creating Balochistan-like situation in yet another federating unit of Pakistan where peaceful solution to any grievances of people may become difficult if the killing spree prevails,” said the statement.
The IHI also expressed concern over the criminal silence of the Sindh and federal governments over allegations against intelligence agencies and demanded thorough inquiry into these accusations. The IHI said that no one involved in the killings should be above the law. At the same time it demanded to produce all missing persons in the courts of law and let the justice system deal with the charges and cases against them, instead of torturing them to death. The alliance also regretted the silence of so-called national media which has failed to highlight the issue according to its due importance.
The alliance demanded that the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court, National and Sindh assemblies and the Senate; federal and Sindh governments should play their due role to bring an end to these brutal killings, release those who are still missing and prompt action against those involved in these gruesome violations of fundamental human rights.