January 28, 2011 | Asian Human Rights Commission | Click here for partial list of missing persons, maintained by Intl Voice of Baloch Missing Persons
Sign Asian Human Rights Petition, January 28, 2011 Six more persons go missing after arrest and abductions; a student's bullet riddled body found

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that a woman, Ms. Hanifa Bibi, was arrested by the police and men in plain clothes during a raid at her house for the search of her husband, Mr. Awal Khan Bugti, on January 18; since then her whereabouts are unknown. A government officer was also kidnapped by plain clothed men while he was returning home from his office in Kalat city of Balochistan. In another incident four students were arrested by personnel of the Frontier Corp (FC) when they were taking lunch at a friend's house. Since then the whereabouts of the arrested persons are unknown.

Photo: Abid Rasool Bux, found January 27, 2011.

CASE NARRATIVE:

Mr. Awal Khan Bugti, resident of Quetta city, capital of Balochistan, was an activist of the Republican Party and wanted by the police in some cases. On 18 January 2011 after midnight police accompanied by a number of plain clothed persons raided his house to arrest him. When they could not find Mr. Bugti during the raid, the police took his wife, Ms. Hanifa, into custody in order to force Bugti to surrender himself. Since then her whereabouts are unknown. Her family members have contacted the Quetta police many times but they have refused to reveal her whereabouts saying only that if Bugti surrenders to the police she would be released.

It is to be mentioned here that according to the lists of disappeared persons compiled by provincial government of Balochistan and National Crisis Management, around 168 children and 148 women have been missing since 2002 but still their whereabouts are unknown.

In another incident, on 21 January, four young men were abducted by plain clothed persons from Pajgur city of Balochistan while they were having lunch at a friend's house. According to reports received the young men, Wali Baloch, Abid Rasool Bux Baloch and Mehrab promi were having food at Nasir Dararzi's home when more than a dozen armed persons arrived and dragged them at gunpoint towards the vehicles standing outside the house. Nasir Dagarzai, who was hosting the lunch, was seriously injured and is in critical condition with bullet wounds and marks of and torture on his body. The vehicles that were used during the abduction of these four persons did not bear any motor vehicle registration numbers. This is usually the case with the vehicles used by the state intelligence agencies in the Balochistan province.

On 27 January, the bullet riddled body of Abid Rasool Bux found from the Gwargo area of Panjgor.

In another case, a government officer, Mr. Abdul Rauf Qambrani, the Sub-divisional Officer at the Public Health Department, government of Balochistan, was abducted by the plain clothed persons. The abductors came to the scene by riding in the two jeeps without having any motor vehicle registration numbers. The faces of the plain clothed persons were covered with scarves. These persons introduced themselves as members of 'secret agencies'. At the time of abduction Mr. Qambrani was returning home at 5pm on January 24 along with his grandmother, who was left alone at the road, near Wadh city, when Qambrani was dragged away. The family members tried to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the Kalat police refused to register the complaint on an excuse that they (Kalat police) had not arrested him. Mr. Qambrani was previously arrested in 2007 during General Musharraf's regime in a case of possessing arms. Later, in 2008, he was acquitted by the court as the case was found to be fake.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write the letters to the authorities showing your deep concern about the arrest and disappearance of a woman who was made hostage by the law enforcement agencies for the barter of her husband as he was wanted by the state agencies. Please urge them to release the sub divisional health officer and the other young persons who they were having lunch at their friend's house on the suspicion of having a secret meeting. Please also urge the officials of the law enforcement agencies to take responsibility for the disappearance of these persons. The officers concerned must be prosecuted.

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear __________,

PAKISTAN: Legal redress require for disappearance of six persons after arrest and abductions while a student's bullet riddled body found

Names of victims:

1. Ms. Hanifa Bibi wife of Awal Khan Bugti, resident of Quetta, Balochistan province

2. Mr. Abdul Rauf Qambrani son of Mir Muhammad Ayube, Sub Divisional Officer, health department, Kallat, resident of Neemarh, Kallat city, Balochistan province

3. Nasir Dagarzai, resident of Panjgore, Balochistan province

4. Wali Baloch, resident of Panjgore, Balochistan province

5. Abid Rasool Bux Baloch, resident of Panjgore, Balochistan province

6. Mehrab promi, resident of Panjgore, Balochistan province

Alleged perpetrators: Law-enforcing agencies

Date of incident: Month of January, 2011

Place of incident: Quetta, Panjgor and Kallat cities of Balochistan province

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the continuous cases of illegal arrests and disappearances in Balochistan province orchestrated by the state intelligence agencies and other organs of the law enforcement agencies. In the recent days there are reports of an increase in the cases of disappearances.

I am shocked to know that a woman has been missing since her illegally arrest. It is said that Quetta police have arrested her when her husband was not present during the police raid at her residence. In the same way, a government officer was also dragged out of his car by the clothed persons who identified themselves as personnel from the Frontier Corps, since then he is also missing.

The details of the cases are:

Mr. Awal Khan Bugti, resident of Quetta city, capital of Balochistanon, was the activist of Republican Party and wanted by the police in some cases. On 18 January after midnight police raided the house of Mr. Awal Khan Bugti, along with some plain clothed persons to arrest him. When they did not find Bugti during the raid the police took his wife, Ms. Hanifa, into custody so that Bugti should surrender himself before the police. Since then her whereabouts are unknown. Her family members have contacted the Quetta police many times but they refuse to reveal her whereabouts saying only that if Bugti surrenders before police then she would be released.

It is also very shocking for me that the four young men were abducted by plain clothed persons from Pajgur city of Balochistan while they were having lunch at a friend's house on 21 January 2011. According to the reports received the young men, Wali Baloch, Abid Rasool Bux Baloch and Mehrab promi were having food at Nasir Dararzi's home more than a dozen armed persons came and dragged them out at gunpoint towards vehicles standing outside the house. The vehicles bore no registration numbers which is usually the case with vehicles used by the state intelligence agencies in Balochistan province. Nasir Dagarzai, who was hosting the lunch was seriously injured and is in critical condition with bullet wounds and marks of and torture on his body.

On 27 January the bullet riddled body of one Abid Rasool Bux found from Gwargo area of Panjgor.

In another case, government officer, Mr. Abdul Rauf Qambrani, the Sub-divisional Officer at Public Health department, government of Balochistan, was abducted by the plain clothed persons riding in the two jeeps which bore no registration numbers. Their faces were covered with scarves. The plain clothed persons identified themselves as the persons from secret agencies. Mr. Qambrani was returning home on 24 January at 5 pm along with his grandmother and she was left alone at the road, near Wadh city, when Qambrani was dragged away. The family members tried to file a First Information Report (FIR) with the Kalat police but it was refused as police had not arrested him. Mr. Qambrani was previously arrested in 2007, during General Musharraf's regime, in a case of possessing arms but was acquitted in 2008 as the case was found to be fake.

I urge that illegal arrests and alleged disappearances should be stopped and persons who are involved in any crime should be produced before the law. There should be proper investigations in the activities which amounted as subversive or anti-state activities. The role of the secret agencies or other law enforcement authorities other than they police, do not have any constitutional or legal authority to arrest and hold them incommunicado.

The woman, Ms. Hanifa Bibi should be recovered immediately and the officials involved in abduction and killing must be prosecuted.

I look forward to your prompt action to provide substantial and comprehensive policy responses on the cases of disappearances and killing of the disappeared persons.

Yours sincerely,

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari President of Pakistan President's Secretariat Islamabad PAKISTAN Tel: +92 51 9204801/9214171 Fax: +92 51 9207458 Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk

2. Mr. Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Prime Minister Prime Minister House Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: +92 51 922 1596 Tel: +92 51 920 6111 +92 51 920 6111 E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk

3. Mr. Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani Federal Minister for Human Rights Ministry of Human Rights Old US Aid building Ata Turk Avenue G-5, Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: +9251-9204108 Email: sarfraz_yousuf@yahoo.com

4. Dr. Faqir Hussain Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan Constitution Avenue, Islamabad PAKISTAN Fax: + 92 51 9213452 E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk

5. Nawab Aslam Raisani Chief Minister of Balochistan Chief Minister House, Quetta PAKISTAN Fax: +92 81 920 2240 Tel: +92 81 449582 / 440661 E-mail: mirlashkari@yahoo.com

6. Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi Governor of Balochistan Governor House Balochistan, Quetta- Balochistan province, PAKISTAN Fax: +92 81 920 2992

7. Chief Secretary Government of Balochistan Quetta, Balochistan province PAKISTAN Fax: +92 81 9202132 Email: chiefsecy@balochistan.gov.pk

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme

Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)

The AHRC is writing a separate letter to UN Special Rapporteurs on the Question of Torture and Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances calling for their intervention into this case.

Sign Asian Human Rights Petition, January 28, 2011 Six more persons go missing after arrest and abductions; a student's bullet riddled body found