October 6, 2006

URGENT APPEAL GENERAL URGENT APPEAL GENERAL URGENT APPEAL GENERAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

6 October 2006
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UG-020-2006: PAKISTAN: Sindh provincial government’s deliberate negligence to protect the Hindu religious minority

PAKISTAN: Violation against religious minority; suppression of the freedom of religion and belief; discrimination; police’s collaboration with the culprits; impunity; un-rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the recent repression of Hindu religious minorities by Muslim extremists in Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan. In particular, the local police has not only refused to record the complaints from the victims and launch investigations into the incident, but also actively collaborated with alleged perpetrators into these crimes. No action has yet been taken by the Sindh provincial & Pakistan federal governments to correct this matter.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

There is a century old residential compound of the Hindu community in Lyari town of Karachi, Sindh province, which was constructed in 1901, where more than 100 houses of the Hindu community are located and an old temple with the name of Shiv Mander. This compound is exclusively earmarked for Hindus by the government of Sindh province under the Evacuee Property Act 1957. This Evacuee Property Act was formed for transfer of property for those Hindu and Muslim people who migrated to India and Pakistan following Pakistan’s independence from India. The Hindu residents of the compound are paying rent to Pakistan government under a 1958 agreement which is administered under the auspices of the Evacuee Property Act 1957. The Act prohibits a person(s) who was granted a land, from selling it.

However, with the help of Baghdadi police in Kakri ground, Lyari town, land grabbers have been forcibly evicting residents in this compound. As a result, only 35 families are left. The Muslim extremists and Baghdadi police are also allegedly forcing the Hindu residents to sign on the residential document that subsequently gives the right of using the land to the land grabbers in exchange for a very little amount.

In July and August 2006, a local Union Council member with a minority seat named Mr. Aanwal Das who resides in the same compound was threatened several times by the Baghdadi police and Muslim extremists to vacate the compound of its Hindu community. He several times to make representation to higher authorities including the Chief Minister of Sindh province about the forced eviction of the community but all his representations went in vain. To date, no action has yet been taken by any of the local government’s authorities to address this matter.

Beside this, Baghdadi police reportedly allow the Muslims to slaughter the cows inside the compound’s walls to insult Hindu religion and scare the community. The police have also taken over the Shiv Mander temple and transformed it into a place for Muslim worship. Furthermore, whenever there are any Hindu religious ceremonies, like Holy, Deewali, Janam Ashtmi or the birthday of Shiva Jee, inside the compound, the Muslim extremists throw stones and filth to stop the functions and the police do not intervene at all to stop these acts.

The AHRC was also informed that several Hindu girls have been reportedly raped within the compound but the Baghdadi police showed no willingness to register the cases. For example, in April 2006, Baghdadi police received a complaint regarding the kidnapping and rape of a Hindu girl by an alleged Muslim rapist named Javed Qasai. However, instead of arresting him, the police forced the girl’s family to settle the matter with the perpetrator and basically allowed him to leave the compound freely.

Forced and coerced conversions of religious minorities to Islam occur at the hands of societal actors. Several human rights groups have highlighted the increased phenomenon of Hindu girls, particularly in Karachi, Sindh province, being kidnapped from their families and forced to convert to Islam. Pakistan government action to stem the problems is inadequate and actually these incidents take place through the help of local administrations. According to the All Pakistan Minority Alliance, this year has already seen roughly 25 girls from the Hindu community allegedly forced to convert to Islam in the province of Sindh. The method of choice to convert the girls who are abducted is to have them marry within the Muslim community.

In one case, on 18 October 2005, 3 daughters namely Rina (aged 20), Oosha (aged 25) and Reema (aged 17) of a Hindu couple residing in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh province, disappeared. After lodging an inquiry with the local police, the couple discovered that their daughters were abducted by Muslim extremists, taken to a local madrassah where they were converted to Islam.

However, the Frere police refused to register the case of abduction lodged by the parents. On 22 October 2005, with the efforts of Mr. Javed Burqi, an advocate of a local human rights organization named the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the father of the kidnapped girls had his case finally registered with the police as First Information Report (FIR) no. 144/2005.  However, since the alleged kidnappers Mr. Jahan Zeb, Mr. Faisal and Mr. Abid had connections with the police, they had secured bail before they were even arrested and therefore were never brought into custody.

The three kidnapped girls were later forced to marry their kidnappers at a seminary called the Darul Uftad Binori. The parents were not allowed to meet their daughters. On 3 November 2005, the Judicial Magistrate South 4, Karachi then passed an order to Frere police to arrange the meeting for the parents with their children. The police were then allegedly threatened by the seminary administration to desist from such actions. Mr. Javed Burqi once again filed an application of contempt of court and on November 10 the court ordered the police to make an arrangement of meeting otherwise they would be held in contempt of court.

On 11 November 2005, the parents were allowed to meet their daughters for one hour at the seminary Darul Uftad Binori. However, when Mr. Sono and his wife went to see their daughters at seminary with police, the whole area was cordoned off by the armed guards of the seminary, where the parents were then teased by the armed officials. The meeting was allowed for only 15 minutes, which was held under the watchful eye of 5 male and 1 female officers from the seminary and 5 policemen. At no time were the daughters not allowed to talk separately with their parents. Since then, the whereabouts of the three forcibly converted women is still unknown and the police have not made any attempt to find these girls and arrest the perpetrators.

The authorities still have not inquired these incidents even though Hindu religious minority groups and human rights organisations have lodged several protests. The AHRC observed that continued serious forms of discrimination and attacks against religious minorities in Pakistan are allowed to take place due to direct collaboration with the alleged perpetrators or apparent inaction from the police and local administration. Not only the Hindu minority but also other religious minorities are targeted with serious attacks (Please refer our appeal on recent suppression recent suppression of Ahmadi sect of Islam in Punjab province: UG-017-2006).

We strongly urge the Pakistan government to strictly enforce the laws to protect rights of religious minorities in the country and take strong measures against law enforcement officials who collaborate with the alleged perpetrators or fail to take proper action into the concerned cases.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below and demand their immediate intervention into the aforementioned incidents. Please also urge them to set up strong measures against Baghdadi police and police and administration officials who are proven to be involved in the cases.

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Sample letter:

Dear ____________,

PAKISTAN: Sindh provincial government’s deliberate negligence to protect Hindu religious minority

I am writing to bring your urgent attention regarding the Baghdadi police’s alleged collaboration with the alleged perpetrators in series of attacks on over 100 Hindu families living in a century old residential compound in Lyari town of Karachi, Sindh province, Pakistan.

According to the information I have received, even though the concerned compound is exclusively earmarked for Hindu families by the Sindh provincial government under the Evacuee Property Act 1957, land grabbers have been forcibly evicting residents in this compound with the help of Baghdadi police in Kakri ground, Lyari town. As a result, only 35 families are left. I was also informed that Baghdadi police themselves are also helping the Muslim land grabbers by allegedly forcing the Hindu residents to sign on the residential document in exchange for a very little amount, which subsequently gives the right of using the land to the land grabbers.

In July and August 2006, a local Union Council member with a minority seat named Mr. Aanwal Das, who resides in the same compound, several times made representation to higher authorities including Chief Minister of Sindh province about the forced eviction of the community but all his representation went in to vain. Tol date, no action has yet been taken by any of the local government’s authorities to address this matter.

I was also shocked to learn that the Baghdadi police reportedly allow the Muslims to slaughter the cows inside the compound’s walls to insult Hindu religion, and also take over the Shiv Mander temple and transformed it into a place for Muslim worship. I was further informed that the Baghdadi police showed no willingness to register several rape cases of Hindu girls within the compound. For example, in April 2006, Baghdadi police received a complaint regarding the kidnapping and rape of a Hindu girl by an alleged Muslim rapist named Javed Qasai. However, instead of arresting him, the police allowed him to leave the compound freely.

In fact, this is yet another incident of serious of discrimination and attacks on Hindu religious minorities in Sindh province, Pakistan. According to the All Pakistan Minority Alliance, this year has already seen roughly 25 girls from the Hindu community were allegedly abducted and forced to convert to Islam in Sindh.

One good example is a case of 3 daughters namely Rina (aged 20), Oosha (aged 25) and Reema (aged 17) of a Hindu couple, who were abducted from their house in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh province on 18 October 2005. In this case, the Frere police delayed to register the case until one human rights advocate intervened into the case (FIR no. 144/2005). However, the alleged kidnappers Mr. Jahan Zeb, Mr. Faisal and Mr. Abid had secured bail before they were even arrested with help of the police and therefore were never brought into custody.

On 3 November 2005, the Judicial Magistrate South 4, Karachi then passed an order to Frere police to arrange the meeting for the parents with their children. On November 10 the court again ordered the police to make an arrangement of meeting otherwise they would be held in contempt of court. On 11 November 2005, the parents were allowed for only 15 minutes, which was held under the watchful eye of 5 male and 1 female officers from the seminary and 5 policemen at the seminary Darul Uftad Binori. At no time were the daughters not allowed to talk separately with their parents. Since then, the whereabouts of the three forcibly converted women is still unknown and the Frere police have not made any attempt to find these girls and arrest the perpetrators.

I observed that continued serious forms of discrimination and attacks against religious minorities in Pakistan are allowed to take place due to direct collaboration with the alleged perpetrators or apparent inaction from the police and local administration. I therefore strongly urge you to order a prompt, full and independent inquiry into the concerned cases and ensure that alleged perpetrators are accountable for their crimes. I also urge you to take strong action against officers of Baghdadi police and Frere police who are responsible for their direct involvement in illegal attacks on Hindu minorities and failure to investigate the incidents and arrest the alleged perpetrators. Lastly,I strongly urge the Government of Pakistan to strictly enforce the laws to protect rights of religious minorities and take strong measures against law enforcement officials who collaborate with the alleged perpetrators or fail to take proper action into the concerned cases.

Yours truly,
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SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

1. Mr. Ishrat-ul- Ibad Khan
Governor
Government of Sindh
Governor House Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 21 920 1201
E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk

2. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim
Chief Minister of Sindh
Chief Minister House
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 21 9202000

3. General Pervez Musharraf
President
President’s Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1422, 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
E-mail: (please see – http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx)

4. Mr. Muhammad Wasi Zafar
Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights
Government of Pakistan
S Block
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 920 2628
E-Mail: minister@molaw.gov.pk

5. Mr. Mohammad Ijaz ul Haq
Minister of Religious Affairs
Zakat & Ushr Wing
Near GPO, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 921 4856
E-mail: minister@mra.gov.pk or infor@mra.gov.pk

6. Ms. Asma Jahangir
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of religion or belief
Attn.: Anthony Cardon
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF)
Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)