Pakistan: Attack against a mission of the HRCP

PAK 001 / 0106 / OBS 009

Attack / Harassment
Pakistan
January 20, 2006


The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.

Brief description of the facts:

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) that a HRCP fact-finding mission was attacked in the Pakistani south western region of Balochistan, on January 8, 2006.

According to the information received, the mission delegation was composed by Ms. Asma Jahangir, HRCP Chairperson, Mr. Afrasiab Khattak, former HRCP Chairperson, Mr. Munizae Jahangir, a journalist, and Mr. Muhammad Nadeem, a cameraman. The mission aimed at monitoring the deterioration of the human rights situation in Balochistan subsequent to the military operations launched by the Pakistani armed forces on December 17, 2005. Three charges of Kalashnikov were fired during the attack against the vehicle; fortunately none of the mission members got wounded.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) reportedly made a phone call to the Quetta club to claim responsibility for the attack. This attitude is not common for the BLA, which generally claims responsibility for its actions by posting a press release on its website. According to the information received, the government knew the exact position of the vehicle because the intelligence services photographed it along the way. The HCRP delegates filed a complaint but it has not been followed neither by a police first information report nor by an investigation.

The Observatory expresses its concern about this attack, and fears that the Pakistani Army might have been involved in it. In this regard, the Observatory recalls that HRCP denounces the regular attempt of the authorities to silence anyone who wishes to monitor the situation in the province.

Actions required :

Please write to the authorities of Pakistan urging them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders in Pakistan;

ii. Conduct a fair, impartial and independent investigation in order to clarify the circumstances of the attack against the HRCP mission, identify those responsible, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crimes;

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment against all human rights defenders in Pakistan;

iv. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” and article 6, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: to know, seek, obtain, receive and hold information about all human rights and fundamental freedoms (...), freely to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance (...) of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”.

v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Pakistan.

Addresses:

• General Pervez Musharraf, President, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, PAKISTAN, Fax: +92 51 922 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
  
  
• Hon. Mr. Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan, Governor of Sindh Province, Governor House, Karachi, PAKISTAN, Tel: +92 21 9201201-3, Fax: +92 21 9205043, E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk
  
  
• Hon. Mr. Arbab Ghulam Raheem, Chief Minister Sindh Province, 3rd Floor, New Sindh Secretariat, Building No. 1, Karachi, Sindh Province, PAKISTAN
  
  
• Mr. Asad Jehangir, Provincial Police Officer, Sindh Police, Central Police Office, Karachi, PAKISTAN, Telephone: +92 21 9212626-7, Fax: +92 21 9212051
  
  
• Mr. Niaz Siddiqui, Regional Police Officer, Sukkur Region, Airport Road, Sukkur, PAKISTAN, Tel: +92 71 30547, 30248, Fax: +92 71 30223/31824
  
  
• Syed Sultan Shah, Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights, Islamabad, PAKISTAN, Tel: +92 51 920 3464, Fax: +92 51 9203119
  
  
• Ambassador Masood Khan, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva, Rue de Moillebeau 56, Case postale 434, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland, E-mail: mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 734 80 85

***

Geneva-Paris, January 20, 2006

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Email : Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel et fax FIDH : + 33 1 43 55 55 05 / 33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel et fax OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29