Pakistan: The government's response to Sipa-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP)

Following the Pakistan government's August 2001 ban on the sectarian outfits Sipa-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the latter reportedly an offshoot of Sipa-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) (Indo-Asian News Service 14 Aug. 2001; Shia News 9 Sept. 2001), General Musharrraf issued a warning to SSP and Tehrik-i-Jafira Pakistan (TJP), stating that the "government would closely observe their activities" and would not hesitate to ban them if they were found to be involved in extremist activities (Indo-Asian News Service 14 Aug. 2001). Reportedly, the two organizations would be placed under watch for six months (Shia News 9 Sept. 2001).

According to reports, Pakistani military authorities, seeking to thwart anti-American violence, detained Maulana Azam Tariq, head of SSP, at the Lahore airport in October 2001 (Asian Age Online 9 Oct. 2001; AFP 9 Oct. 2001). Tariq, described as a pro-Taliban Islamic leader, was placed under house arrest (ibid.).

A 16 April 2001 article published in Dawn reported that two SSP activists, despite having been acquitted by the Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Court of the murder of Malik Ibrar Hussain, had not been released but instead rearrested under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), section 16 for three months on the orders of a district magistrate (ibid.).

A 7 April 2001 article reported that police had arrested 30 SSP activists (Dawn). According to the police, the arrested members had attempted to forcefully halt a mourning procession (ibid.). The SSP claimed the residents of Bilal Colony, Korangi had objected to the procession and that local residents had tried to stop it (ibid.). A SSP spokesman also claimed that all of the persons detained by the police were not members of the SSP (ibid.).

Several articles from late February 2001 report on a police crackdown on SSP members as a precautionary measure against possible SSP retaliation against the arrest and planned 28 February 2001 execution of Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, charged with the murder of an Iranian diplomat (The Pakistan Newswire 28 Feb. 2001; Dawn 25 Feb. 2001; ibid. 26 Feb. 2001a; ibid. 26 Feb. 2001b; ibid. 1 Mar. 2001; Islam Online 24 Feb. 2001). A 25 February 2001 article reported that more than 300 SSP leaders and activists had been taken into custody in Punjab, including in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Jhang, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Sing, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, and Dera Ghazi Khan (Dawn). Police raids were reportedly made on mosques, seminaries, SSP offices and residences of SSP office-bearers (ibid.; ibid. 26 Feb. 2001a). In Karachi, an estimated 70 SSP provincial leaders and activists were taken into police custody (Dawn 26 Feb. 2001b).

Reportedly, as a result of these actions, SSP activists had gone "underground" in order to avoid arrest (ibid. 25 Feb. 2001; ibid. 26 Feb. 2001a). In Gujranwala, Punjab, where more than 50 SSP activists were reported to have already been taken into custody following the murder of TJP district president Ghulam Shabbir Chohan, police continued overnight raids on the homes of SSP members and were reported to have taken away SSP family members when they failed to find the wanted SSP member (ibid. 25 Feb. 2001). In Multan, when police raided the home of SSP city president Rana Ayub they were told by Ayub's family that he had gone to South Africa (ibid. 26 Feb. 2001a).

According to a 1 March 2001 article, following the hanging of Haq Nawaz on 28 February 2001, police had virtually laid siege to the SSP headquarters in Jhang, Punjab (Dawn). Although, police officials denied the accusation, eye-witnesses reported that police were denying people free movement in and out of the Markaz (ibid.). Reportedly, violence broke out when people inside the Markaz started throwing stones at the police and in the resulting clash one man was killed and six others were injured (ibid.).

An 8 February 2001 article reported that leaders of TJP and SSP had been detained and taken to an "unknown destination" (Dawn). Reportedly, those detained had been told to hold talks in order to bring an end to the violence between these two groups and that they would not be released until and unless they "submitted an undertaking to the government in this respect" (ibid.). A 13 February 2001 article reported that more than 100 SSP activists had been booked for attacking the local police station and injuring three constables and the gunman of an assistant commissioner (Dawn).

As well, a 19 November 2000 article reported that, although he had been exonerated on the charge of supplying the weapons used in the killing of two Iranian bothers, an anti-terrorism court had sentenced Mohammed Younus, an SSP worker, to a seven-year term for the possession of illegal weapons and creating terror (Dawn). According to the article, Younas was arrested on 20 November 1999 by the Pirabad police for forcing shopkeepers to close their businesses at gunpoint (ibid.).

According to a 22 September 2000 article, some 200 to 400 SSP workers in Karachi had been detained by police when they attempted to hold a protest rally calling for the declaration of Hazrat Abubakr Siddique Day as a public holiday (Dawn).

For further information regarding SSP, please consult the July 1999 Research Directorate Issue Paper Pakistan: Sectarian Violence.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 9 October 2001. "Pakistan Detains Islamic Radical Party Leaders." (123India.com News) [Accessed 9 November 2001]

Asian Age Online [Uttar Predesh]. 9 October 2001. Tahir Ikram. "Pakistan Detains Third Hardline Islamic Leader." [Accessed 9 Nov. 2001]

Dawn [Karachi]. 16 April 2001. "Toba Tek Singh: Two Acquitted SSP Men Re-arrested." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 7 April 2001. "Karachi: 30 SSP Activists Arrested." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 1 March 2001. "Passer-by Killed, six Hurt in SSP Workers-Police Clash." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 26 February 2001a. "Crackdown on SSP Activists Continues." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 26 February 2001b. "70 SSP Leaders, Activists Held." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 25 February 2001. "Over 300 SSP Workers Taken into Custody: Crackdown Continues." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 13 February 2001. "100 SSP Men Booked For Attacking Police Station." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 8 February 2001. "TJP, SSP Leaders Still Under Detention." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 22 September 2000. "Hundreds of Sipah-i-Sahaba Workers Detained." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

_____. 19 November 2000. "SSP Worker Sentenced to Seven Years' RI." [Accessed 7 Nov. 2001]

Indo-Asian News Service. 14 August 2001. Muhammad Najeeb. "Pakistan Bans Two Local Terrorist Groups." (Rediff) [Accessed 9 November 2001]

Islam Online [Qatar]. 24 February 2001. "Pakistani Police Arrest 200 Activists of Sunni Muslim Group." [Accessed 9 Nov. 2001]

The Pakistan Newswire. 28 February 2001. "SG: SSP Activists Detained." (NEXIS)

Shia News. 9 September 2001. Arif Jamal. "Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan, the General Strikes." [Accessed 9 Nov. 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

Jane's Geopolitical Library, CD-ROM

Jane's Intelligence Review

LEXIS/NEXIS

Oral source:

One academic source consulted had no information

Unsuccessful attempt to contact one academic source

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

BBC

CNN

Dawn

Frontier Post

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Human Rights Watch

International Relations and Security Network

News International

Pakistan Daily

Pakistan News Service

South Asia Terrorism Portal

UN News

World News Connection