Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2005 - Pakistan

Ongoing harassment of the NGO KK⁵⁶

In 2005, members of Khwendo Kor (KK), an NGO involved in the defence of the rights of children and women in remote areas of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), continued to work in a hostile environment. In addition, female members remained subjected to acts of individual pressure, aimed at convincing them to cease their activities. For instance, in November 2005, anonymous articles were published in local newspapers, stating that NGOs and women were forbidden from undertaking their respective activities.

Khwendo Kor has been subjected to numerous restrictions on its activities for several years: systematic discredit campaigns, religious condemnations (fatwas) against its members, death threats, etc.

Continued harassment against HRCP

Arrest of Mrs. Hina Jilani and Mrs. Asma Jahangir⁵⁷

On 14 May 2005, 50 people were arrested, including Mrs. Hina Jilani, board member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders, and Mrs. Asma Jahangir, HRCP president and Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on the Freedom of Religion and Belief. The protesters had come together to denounce violence against women in Pakistan, in the framework of a gathering organised by HRCP and the Joint Action Committee for Peoples' Rights. The police dispersed them with sticks, injuring several people.

All the people detained were released four hours later. Mrs. Asma Jahangir lodged a complaint against the police for harassment and for having torn her clothes.

Harassment of Mr. Jam Saqi and his wife⁵⁸

Mr. Jam Saqi, a member of HRCP administrative council, was harassed by Sindh province authorities for his participation in a fact-finding mission in the province on 26 May 2005, after a family belonging to the Hindu Meghwar caste (a poor caste) had been harassed and subjected to acts of violence by a young man claiming to be a family member of the Chief Minister of Sindh province, Mr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

Thus, on 29 May 2005, before he had even announced the conclusions of the mission, Mr. Saqi was summoned to the Hyderabad police station, where he found out that he was under arrest for "possession of explosives". He was then brought before an Anti-Terrorist Court, which placed him on remand for one week. During a phone call with Mr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the latter threatened him, asking if he wanted to fight with him, which Mr. Saqi denied. Mr. Saqi was released in the evening of 30 May 2005 without any explanation.

However, on the following day, the police were again searching for him. As they could not find him, they arrested his wife, claiming that a complaint for abduction with ransom had been lodged by the former husband of her sister. A petition was submitted to the Sindh High Court, which ordered the release on bail of Mrs. Saqi on 7 June 2005. Nevertheless, when she left the police station, she was re-arrested, supposedly in relation to another case initiated several years before by, again, the former husband of her sister. She was subsequently released.

Lack of investigation into the abduction of Mr. Aktar Baloch⁵⁹

On 23 March 2003, Mr. Akhtar Baloch, coordinator of HRCP Hyderabad office, had been abducted, before being released a couple of days later. He had then indicated that he had been interrogated several times during his detention on HRCP activities and financing.

By the end of 2005, no inquiry nor judicial proceedings against those responsible had been opened.

Assassination of several human rights defenders⁶⁰

Assassination of Mrs. Yasmin Kanwal. On 4 April 2005, Mrs. Yasmin Kanwal, a human rights defender, was stabbed to death in Lahore.

Assassination of Mr. Babar Simpson. On 5 April 2005, Mr. Babar Simpson, chairperson of the Ilam-Dost Foundation, and Mr. Daniel Emanuel, his driver, were abducted in Peshawar. Their mutilated bodies were found on 7 April 2005.

Assassination of Mrs. Zubaida Begum. In the last week of June 2005, unidentified persons killed Mrs. Zubaida Begum, a member of the Aurat Foundation (NWFP Dir), in Dir district, an NGO working for women's rights, and her daughter, Shumila.

Harassment campaigns against NGOs⁶¹

Peshawa district. On 3 March 2005, the government of Peshawar district prohibited activities of NGOs in public primary and secondary schools, which had just launched a health and education programme. These NGOs were accused of having collected large sums of money in the name of the well-being of children but of having spent very little of it.

North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). On 17 May 2005, a number of schools run by NGOs were attacked.

Islamabad. On 17 June 2005, the Minister of Social Security and Special Education placed the human rights NGO Rozan on a "black list" for circulating a questionnaire to some students, asking questions about their relations with the opposite sex and asking whether the students had been sexually assaulted. The Minister asked the NGO to cease its project.

Karachi. On 28 August 2005, Mrs. Khalida Ahmed, a member of the NGO War Against Rape, was subjected to acts of harassment and threatened with death after having brought a rape victim to hospital.

[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]

56. See Annual Report 2004.

57. See Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

58. Idem.

59. See Annual Report 2004.

60. See National Commission on Justice and Peace – Pakistan.

61. Idem.