Civil Society leaders raise voice against enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of citizens
Staff Report
Karachi, Sindh
National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) and other organizations of civil society have warned the government that the use of blind state force against civil liberties may bring very serious consequences.
Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club here, they said that enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of citizens are blatant violations of local and international human rights. “The anti-human excesses of the state institutions against the citizens, especially Baloch people, are brewing a serious crisis,” they added.
The civil society leaders said that recent sad incidents of extra judicial killings of Baloch youths in Turbat, and police torture and arrests of the protest marchers in Islamabad, and attack on their camp by unknown people show that the state and its institutions are bent to violate the constitutional and democratic rights of people.
They said that when a peaceful rally was staged in Karachi against the above-mentioned undemocratic attitude of the state, fake cases of sedation and other serious allegations were lodged against 260 people including NTUF general secretary Nasir Mansoor, HRCP central council member Saeed Baloch, Jeay Sindh Mahaz leader Illahi Bux Bikak and Yekjahiti Committee organiser Abdul Wahid Baloch.
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They said that political and social activists and journalists are constantly being harassed through different institutions. Similar cases lodged against the political and social workers for holding protests are equally condemnable. However, the politically aware circles of the country fully endorse the demands of the Baloch March and participants of their sit-in in Islamabad.
They said that they want to tell the state and its institutions that the basis of Pakistan is democracy and unity of the federal units. However, sadly the basic norms of the constitution and democracy are being continuously violated, whose proof is the forced disappearances of thousands of citizens, especially Balochs, extra judicial killings, mass arrests and fake police cases. It is quite unfortunate that the major political parties, elected houses and courts have failed to check these illegal activities and take action against the elements involved in them. They said that it is the requirement of the law and constitution that these elements should be punished as per law and their excesses against the citizens should be stopped for good.
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They demanded that the fake cases against political, labor and human rights activists should be withdrawn; forced disappearances and extra judicial killings must be stopped; all disappeared political and social workers and journalists should be immediately released and those involved in these crimes should be punished.
They demanded that the arrested participants of the Islamabad sit-in should be released and the demands of the sit-in participants should be accepted.
Those spoke included Asad Iqbal Butt chairman HRCP, Zehra Khan General Secretary Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), Dr. Riaz Shaikh Dean Social Sciences and Education ZABIST, Anees Haroon Chairman National Commission for Human Rights, Gul Rehman president of NTUF Sindh, Dr. Asghar Dashti Chairman International Relations Department Federal Urdu University, Shafiq Sheikh of Awami Workers Federation, Amir Waraich President Karachi Bar Association, Abdul Khaliq Zardan Convenor Awami Huqooq Tehreek, Kami Sid transgender Activist, Muhib Azad General Secretary Sindh Sujahg Forum and Aqib Hussain of Alternate.
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