The International Human Rights Council-Hong Kong (IHRC-HK) received information that two political activists –who have been leading the movement against enforced persons- have disappeared after their arrests by Law enforcement Agency official some of who were in uniform while others were in civvies. The officials identified themselves as officials from intelligence agencies.

The activists have been missing since the beginning of the year, Mr. Tariq Khaskheli who is the secretary information of Sindh National Party (SNP) is missing since January 25 and Mr. Raja Hyder was January 02, 2019 from Sindh province where the law enforcement agencies are operating parallel judicial system.

We urge upon the authorities to immediately recover them safely and action be taken against the officials who abducted and disappeared them.

According to the details, Mr. Tariq Khaskheli 36, son of Ramzan Mohammad, resident of house number 8 Chanesar Village, Mehmoodabad, Karachi, Sindh province, was picked up in the early hours, at 4 AM, on January 25, when men in uniform and plain clothes raided his house.

Since then his whereabouts are unknown. The family members contacted Mehmoodabad police station, Karachi, to enquire about his arrest, the concerned police informed them that the victim was not arrested by the police.

Tariq Khaskheli is a peaceful human rights activist who is struggling against the human rights violations in Sindh for missing persons. He is a peaceful Sindhi activist from Karachi and is an important member and information secretary of Sindh National Party which is struggling for secularism and liberalism in Sindh. He was also the member of Karachi Thinkers forum who are defending the human rights in Sindh and are always against the misuse of power by the state intelligence agencies and Sindh Rangers who are involved in abducting political activists. He is the strong voice of missing people, he used to organise an event for poor peoples' food and education and always struggled for them, helping them. He always protested against extremist religious leaders. The chairman of SNP, Mr. Ameer Bhanbro was also abducted on 22 June 2018 and kept in incommunicado by the Rangers and interrogated for several days by the state agencies. While he was incarcerated, the secret agencies tried to abduct his son, Aizaz Ameer Bhanbro but they failed.

Another political activist, Mr. Raja Hyder Ali Thebo 19, a student, son of Mr. Hyder Ali Thebo, resident of Manzoorabad District jamshoro Taluka Manjhand, Sindh province, was abducted on January 02 by men in plain clothes and uniform at 10.30 PM from his house and since then his whereabouts are unknown. He was affiliated with Sindh United Party (SUP) and was also part of the movement against enforced disappearances. He was picked up from Al-Murtaza Hotel Manzoorabad. The family members contacted local police station of Khanoth 10, Taluka and district, but they refused that he was arrested by the police. The police also refused to lodge a complaint against his disappearance because of the involvement of state agencies.

It is not enough for the authorities to deny knowledge of the fate or whereabouts of disappeared people. No investigation is ever conducted on these disappearances nor is any eyewitness ever questioned. There are clear steps that authorities can and should take to investigate such crimes, and they must act immediately to establish the truth about these cases,

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) has on a number of occasions has  expressed concern about lack of implementation of the recommendations it made following a country visit to Pakistan in 2012, citing among other things continuing impunity arising from failure to diligently investigate allegations.

 

The UN Human Rights Committee also, in its review of Pakistan’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), noted with concern “the high incidence of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the police and military and security forces.

 

Pakistan must ensure all persons held in secret or arbitrary detention are immediately released or charged with a recognizable criminal offence and brought promptly before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal for a trial that meets international standards.

Arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances belies state claims of reforms in the criminal justice system. A law enforcement agency is authorized by the state to arrest without warrant and intimation of any one they deem suspect. Detainees are kept incommunicado. They are not presented in court within 24 hours of arrest as provided by the constitution. The illegal detention may last for months while the loved ones of the detainee run from pillar to post to try to locate their whereabouts. Arbitrary arrest and detention without warrant are a blatant violation of the provision of Article 10 of the constitution

 

The IHRC-HK urges the authorities to immediately recover all the disappeared safely and take stern action against the officials who are found involved in the heinous act. If there are any criminal charges against the disappeared persons they must be produced before the law and they must be tried in open courts. Moreover Pakistan must legislate against enforced disappearances as was suggested by the WGEID.