by Amina Masood Janjua
Protection of Human Rights should be a priority for every swearing in political democratic Government of Pakistan. Same was expected when in 18th Feb, 2008. a new leadership sworn in inculcating high hopes in the general public which voted for change and betterment in the country after a prolonged frustrating dictatorship. After an year passed by but there was neither a change in policy nor any improvement in the protection for Human Rights. Since 18th Feb, 2008, 71 people have been reported enforced disappeared out of a total of 640. These were picked up from all parts of Pakistan. This data is one compiled only as per Defence of Human Rights Pakistan, there must be many more registered elsewhere and many many without any record not registered any where. Out of these 71, 37 belong to Punjab, 10 to Boluchistan, 14 to NWFP, 10 to Sindh.
Salman Sabir Hashmi belonging to Islamabad was picked from home on 26th July, 2008.
Naveed Aslam was picked up on 26th Sep, 2008 from his school where he teaches in Mandi Bahauddin a small town in Punjab. While Sajjad Hussain was picked up on 25th Feb, 2009 from his shop in G-10 Islamabad.
Two young friends Talha and Tayyab, visiting Peshawar were picked up on 13th March, 2009 in front of the later’s newly wedded wife. Javaid Abbassi was a laborer in Bahawalpur he was picked up from home in Hasilpur on 27th December 2008.
Lala Munir Ahmad, Sheir Muhammad Baloch and Ghulam Muhammad Baloch were three political leaders ,they were picked up from Turbat on 3rd April, 2009 and later on 9th April, 2009 they were murdered in cold blood. Muhammad Sabir was also picked up on 3 rd April, 2009 from Attock city in northern Punjab. He was one of the fortunate ones released after 17 days but in a tortured hapless condition.
Shokat Hayat was in a meeting with friends in Peshawar, there was a raid in the house and he along with his 3 guests was picked up on 16th March 2009. These are a few examples all of which accrued in the so called “democracy” and their families stand clueless as to what happened? Why? and where the abducted were taken to?
There is a wide gap between what we were hoping and what the ground reality is. The Government is tight-lipped about the thousands of disappearances accrued in the previous or existing regime. The Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani after a meeting with Mrs. Amina Janjua and relatives of the disappeared persons on 15th April, 2008 marked Ministry of Interior to the Adviser Mr. Malik Rehman to locate the whereabouts of those disappeared throughout the length and breadth of Pakistan.
Regular meetings and liaison is maintained with the Ministry of Interior ever since then. The response is in the shape of promises of speedy recovery, of making a commission and of conducting high level meetings regarding the issue of the “Disappeared”. If suppose that the number of picked up persons during Democracy is actually 71 even then out of them only 5 people have been released. If out of these 5 three are murdered Baloch political leaders the situation is really grim.
In the world scenario Obama-Biden administration took oath on the 20th of January 2009 and focused on Pakistan and Afghanistan, regarding it the most important countries. Considering the Enforced Disappearances direct connection with the U.S imposed War on Terror, the Government in Pakistan is very much in a position to pursue the “Disappeared” issue with the United State and get the results of its choice. However the present Pakistani Government is promised a lucrative aid 1.5 billion $ per year just to counter terrorism from the U.S.. This again pushes the Pakistani Government hard and pressurizes them to show performances. For performance the easiest thing for the Government is to pick up more innocent people torture them, take forced confessions and charge them as terror-suspects and present them before the United States.The question is, is it justified to accept this and let torture lose on the innocent, for Nations of some credibility?
The some old story which was staged after 9/11 is being staged again and again. Instead of heading for a break through in the issues of the “Disappeared” the situation is becoming more and more complex and that too at the expense of further exploitation of Human Rights in Pakistan. By drawing a close link between “The Disappeared”, “The United States Aid” and “The War on Terror”, it may suggest a positive step towards solution to the problems of both the United States and Pakistan. The ball is in the court of the U.S. as they can win a remarkable support by Pakistani Public by putting an end to this most grave violation of Human Rights; The Enforced Disappearances.
As the drones continue to haunt the skies of Pakistan, killing 700 innocent civilians, something to soften the U.S image, they are desperately in need of at the moment. Attention should be drawn towards immediate release of thousands of innocent detainees kept in the name of U.S at secret underground torture cells, both in Pakistan and abroad. They are of no value to notorious secret services but they remain to be the loved-ones, meaning more than life to hundreds of their desperate relatives.
In playing a positive role to solve the tender humanitarian issues of the Disappeared, the U.S does have a golden opportunity to prove they are a part of the solution not problem for Pakistan.
Amina Masood Janjua
Chairperson
Defence of Human Rights Pakistan
40-C-1 Nagi road, Westridge -1
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Email: mrsjanjua [at] gmail [dot] com
Thank you, Ms Janjua!
Let us also remember one of the three Baloch leaders killed, Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, was also a member of the 10-member committee constituted by Hyrbyar Marri to ascertain the identities of Balochistan’s missing persons. Thee were 1,109 on that list alone.
Personally I know one of those people once missing. He ‘was’ a lawyer and was picked up under the allegation that someone wanted for terrorism had once called his cellphone number (it was even admitted by the intelligence service that the two never talked i.e. it was a missed call but he was picked up anyways.) And how unusual it is to have a criminal call a lawyer, you tell me?
Anyways, he was picked up and held in solitary confinement for over 18 months and tortured. Then one day out of the blue he was put in a rickshaw and the rickshaw driver given his home address to drop him there which he did.
His mother fell ill soon after he was picked up but she never recovered. She passed away in that state last week. Of course she is does not make it into any statistics.
I used ‘was’ above because though he is no longer ‘missing’, the young man himself is still suffering from his ordeal and not functional mentally.
Ms.Janjua we are ashamed and we are sorry that you still have to suffer through this together with all the familiees of missing persons. God bless u all and have mercy on our souls for this treachery
Where is CJ?? Did people sacrifice their lives only to get him back in black suit so he can travel around the world?
This is a serious violation of basic human rights of citizens so I don’t buy any argument such as “he has to be carefull etc.”
@khank78:
We should write a letter to CJ and ask him that if he has no more water in his balls to raise up this missing person issue. We didnt effort for his seat but to get a real judge.
Why is no one demanding Dr Aafia’s release?
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has succeeded in obtaining five helicopters from President Barack Obama, but failed to obtain the release of Pakistani citizen Dr Aafia Siddiqui.
Dr Aafia claims that the Americans are trying to kill her and those who have met this frail lady say she is in bad shape both physically and mentally. It was former General Pervez Musharraf and President Hamid Karzai who handed over Dr Aafia to the Americans, who illegally took her to Kabul and then to the United States where she continues to be tortured in jail.
When the spokesman at the Foreign Office was asked about a citizen who is continually being stripped, tortured and video-taped by the American jail authorities and whether Zardari would choose to bring her to Pakistan instead of five helicopters, he replied, “Our ambassador in Washington met with the US attorney general on August 13. Efforts are afoot at the highest level, both political and legal, to bring her back. We have requested the Obama administration to reconsider her case on compassionate grounds,” the spokesman stated….
Dear Ms Janjua,
You are one brave person and our heart goes out to you. The ball, as you said, is not in US court but in our politician’s court. It is a question of having self respect, taking our own decisions and making our own policies or following US diktat. US is not expected to keep our interests in mind, we should keep our interests in our own minds. Sadly, our leadership is in such a sorry state that it keeps justifying its existence to US instead of coming out proud and brave.
It is then people like you who keep the struggle for right going. We salute you and support you as much as is in our control.
Prayers.
Mr.C.J. Ch. Iftikhar the following would apply on above cited:
http://pkpolitics.com/2009/05/04/all-existing-cases-in-apex-court-to-be-decided-within-6-months/
I saw Amna Masood Janjua’s interview on probably “Kaltak” and it gave me a lot of tears… I pray for the recovery of all those who are missing in this lawless land… May Allah bless them all and help their families…
@nota
Dr afia divorced her first husband and married an arab. She was trying to get the arab to get into the united states. If the Pakistani goverment is being unhelpful maybe the arab should use his home country to get Dr Afia out. A husband or fiance does have certain pull when it comes to a case involving illegal detention of his wife or fiance. Dr afia is in a criminal court in the United States. She has all her rights available to her. Her well wishers sould raise money for her defense and get her the best lawyer available. What is holding her back from presenting the facts in a free and open court. She is free to present her case so why not do that. A word of advice to all the future jihadist females in pakistan. Stay away from arabs and be a good citizen of a country that you live in.
@nota
tell your lawyer freind to not give his number out to terrorists anymore. He keeps doing that he might end back in detention. Why was the terrorist calling him? Insan ka bacha ban ka rehna kiya bohat mushkil haie?
If a troublemaker is pickled up by the intellegence agencies i am sure his family would come out and admit right away that he is guilty. Shabash aap naie sahie admi pakar liya haie. Dharie raak kaie jumpain lagatie howie kabhie nahie socha ka pakraie gaie to gotian tha tha kar kaie paranin giee. Hero ban naa itna assan nahie. Insan ka bacha ban kaie kyon nahie raha jata in dharie waloun saie. Sarie duniya maie bechainie pehla die haie tha tha kar kaie.
According to our Judicial Set Up which is quite complex right now because various appointment of JUDGES have taken place by the elite of PPP therefore until & unless removal of the same the pending case of Disappearances in Pakistan could not be fight on its true merit as well as with its required SPIRIT!
Therefore, Ms.Amina Masood Janjua I feel very sorry with you. But as a Pakistani this is my duty to present only the true & real picture before you.
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