ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-252-2011
30 December 2011
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PAKISTAN: A lawyer from Hindu community is missing and police refuse to
register the case claiming that the abduction of Hindus is of no
consequence
ISSUES: Disappearance; religious minority groups; impunity; rule of law
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Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received
information regarding that a lawyer belonging to the Dalit caste of
Hindu minority community has been missing since December 23 when he was
going to attend the Sindh High Court. His car was found abandoned at a
Taxi stand with all court files in it. The high police officials of the
district Hyderabad, Sindh province have refused to register the case.
The police are also fighting on the jurisdiction of the concerned police
stations to avoid filing the case. The abductors have asked for ransom
of Rs. 10 million but still the police refuse to register the case and
are also not investigating it as the abductions of Hindus are not a new
thing and the routine business of Muslim fundamentalist groups.
It is feared by his family that he would be killed if he does not embrace Islam or pay the ransom.
The Hindu community remains under threats of abduction,
forced conversion to Islam and persecution in the name of blasphemy
since many years by the fundamentalist religious organizations that
operate through their seminaries (Madressas). Most of the Madressas are
not registered by the government but are free to operate with the
patronage of the police.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Mr. Mohan Lal Menghwar, advocate, son of Karo Mal, resident of
village Bhadisindhu, Chachro, district Tharparkar, Sindh province, was
on the way to Sindh high court, Hyderabad bench, Hyderabad district, 56
kilometers away from his residence to attend the court proceedings. He
proceeded in early morning at 5. 30 AM but when he did not reach the
court it created a panic among the lawyers, clients and family members.
In the evening at 7 PM local police informed the family that a car was
found abandoned at Tando Jam taxi stand. When family members reached
there they found the car of Mohan Lal and everything including the court
files were there.
Police of three stations, Tando Adam, Tando Jam and Hyderabad, stopped
the family members of the victim to file a First Information Report
(FIR) and waited for the abductors' demand for ransom. After two days of
his disappearance the police of Hyderabad district flatly refused to
register the case. The district police officer says they would not file
the case as one cannot say from which jurisdiction of which police
station he was abducted. He told the family members that he was abducted
from some other place and his car was put in the Tando Jam taxi stand
therefore it is difficult to file the case.
Mr. Ladha Ram Sharma, the senior lawyer of the victim, has received a
call from abductors for the ransom of Rs. 10 Million for his release.
This was duly informed to the police who again refused to file the case.
Police were taking the call of ransom very lightly and have yet to
start its legal responsibility to act according the law. The police
attitude is to accommodate the call of ransom.
It is alleged that provincial police know that he has been abducted
by the Muslim religious groups who are operating freely in the areas of
the Hindu population in the rural parts of the province through the
seminaries. Forced conversion to Islam by the abduction of girls and
their forcibly marriage to Muslims is common. The situation of
abduction, rape and forced conversion has reached such a position that
many Hindu families migrated to India among them are also Hindu
legislators.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Murders, kidnappings, looting of Hindu families are on high all
around the Pakistan. They are selling their properties at cheap rates
and wrapping up their businesses at the cost of big losses. In the
recent months 37 Hindus have left Pakistan for India due to security
reasons. Hundreds of Hindu families leave Pakistan for India or other
countries every year to find safe places for them. Fear has spread among
the Sikhs and Hindus of Pakistan after the atrocious beheading incident
involving a young Sikh man because of his refusal to convert.
Furthermore, the Pakistani State has failed to protect the rights of the
religious minorities which has left them feeling helpless while living
with daily fear. Since the Taliban fanatics identify Pakistani Hindus as
people of India, it has left Pakistani Hindus feeling helpless and with
a sense of homelessness because they feel that they are being pushed
out of Pakistan and at the same time not readily being accepted into
their original home country.
A Hindu is being beaten by the Muslim clergy to convert to Islam. Photo by Chakra website.
The Asian Human Rights Commission has estimated that every year more
Christians and Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam. An activist and
council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Amarnath
Motumal, stated that Hindus are targeted due to many local Muslims
seeing them as kafirs (non-Muslims) and therefore of lower class as well
as evil. Threats are commonly given by the dangerous kidnappers that if
they are reported, the families will hear of their daughter’s death.
Motumal said that the word “Hindu” has become an insult and almost a
shame for all Hindus in the Islamic state of Pakistan because of
impoverished state 90% of Hindu families live in. He addressed that the
government and others in power are to blame for the lack of rights
available to the Hindu community.
It is feared by his family that he would be killed if he does not embrace the Islam or pay the ransom of rupees ten million.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the given authorities calling them to ensure the
safe recovery of Mohan Lal advocate and prosecute the police officers
of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar districts for their negligence
to register the case and no investigation to apprehend the abductors.
Also urge the authorities to initiate the inquiry in to the matter of
continuous abduction and forced conversion to Islam in Sindh province
and negligence of law enforcement agencies to stop the practice.
The AHRC writes a separate letter to the UN Working Group on Enforced
and Involuntary Disappearance requesting them to intervention into this
matter.
To support this appeal, please click here:
SAMPLE LETTER:
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: A lawyer from Hindu community is missing and
police refuse to register the case claiming that the abduction of Hindus
is of no consequence
Name of victim:
Mr. Mohan Lal Menghwar advocate son of Karo Mal, resident of village Bhadisindhu, Chachro, district Tharparkar, Sindh province,
Alleged perpetrators:
District police officers of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad districts, Sindh province
Date of incident: 23 December 2011
Place of incident: Sindh province
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the abduction of
Mohan Lal Meghwar, a Hindu lawyer from Mirpurkhas, Sindh province, on
December 23 and since then the Sindh police are refusing to register the
FIR on the pretext that Hindus abductions are nothing new as they are
happening as a routine business of Muslim seminaries.
I am informed that Mr. Mohan Lal Menghwar, advocate, son of Karo Mal,
resident of village Bhadisindhu, Chachro, district Tharparkar, Sindh
province, was on the way to Sindh high court, Hyderabad bench, Hyderabad
district, 56 kilometers away from his residence to attend the court
proceedings. He proceeded in early morning at 5. 30 AM but when he did
not reach the court it created a panic among the lawyers, clients and
family members. In the evening at 7 PM local police informed the family
that a car was found abandoned at Tando Jam taxi stand. When family
members reached there they found the car of Mohan Lal and everything
including the court files were there.
The negligence of Sindh police can be judged that Police from three
different stations of Tando Adam, Tando Jam and Hyderabad, stopped the
family members of the victim to file first information report (FIR) and
wait for the abductors' demand for ransom. After two days of his
disappearance the police of Hyderabad district flatly refused to
register the case. The district police officer says they would not file
the case as one cannot say from which jurisdiction of which police
station he was abducted. He told the family members that he was abducted
from some other place and his car was put in the Tando Jam taxi stand
therefore it is difficult to file the case.
It is shocking that Mr. Ladha Ram Sharma, the senior lawyer of the
victim, has received a call from abductors for the ransom of Rupees 10
Million for his release. This was duly informed to the police who again
refused to file the case. Police were taking the call of ransom very
lightly and till yet not started its legal responsibility to act
according the law. The police attitude is to accommodate the call of
ransom.
According to my knowledge it is alleged that provincial police know
that he has been abducted by the Muslim religious groups who are
operating freely in the areas of Hindu population in the rural parts of
the province through the seminaries. The forced conversion to Islam by
abduction of girls and their forcibly marriage to Muslims are common.
The situation of abduction, rape and forced conversion has reached such a
position that many Hindu families migrated to India among them are also
Hindu legislators.
I urge you to ensure the safe recovery of Mohan Lal advocate and
prosecute the police officers of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar
districts for their negligence to register the case and no investigation
to apprehend the abductors. Also initiate the inquiry in to the matter
of continuous abduction and forced conversion to Islam in Sindh province
and negligence of law enforcement agencies to stop the practice.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1.Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President
President's Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel:+ 92-51-9204801-9214171
Fax: + 92-51-9207458
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
2. Mr. Yousuf Raza Gillani,
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
3. Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
Old US Aid building
Ata Turk Avenue
G-5, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: sarfaraz_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. Mr. Rehman Malik
Minister for Interior
R Block Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026 +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
E-mail: ministry.interior@gmail.com or interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
6. Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan
Governor of Sindh province
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 5043
Tel: +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201 +92 21 920 1201
E-mail: governor@governorsindh.gov.pk
7. Syed Qaim Ali Shah
Chief Minister
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 920 2000
Email: pressecy@cmsindh.gov.pk
8. Mr. Justice Musheer Alam
The Chief Justice of Sindh High Court
High Court Building
Saddar, Karachi
Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9213220
E-mail: registrar@sindhhighcourt.gov.pk
9. Ms. Nadia Gabol
Minister for Human Rights
Government of Sindh,
Pakistan secretariat, Barrack 92,
Karachi, Sindh Province
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 21 9207044
Tel: +92 21 9207043 +92 21 9207043 +92 21 9207043 +92 21 9207043
E-mail: lukshmil@yahoo.com
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)