Sunday, March 29, 2009
By Mumtaz Alvi
Shahzaib Baloch went missing on the day
when Zardari visited Balochsitan. No clue of
his whereabouts like, other thousands of
Baloch who are missing from Balcoistan for
many years.
ISLAMABAD: Scores of
relatives of missing persons on Saturday
called on President Asif Ali Zardari to
order release of their dear ones through an
executive order.
Under the banner of Defence of Human Rights
(DHR), the fathers, mothers, wives, sisters,
sons and daughters of the persons who had
gone missing after 9/11 events and still
this trend was on, gathered close to the
Prime Minister Secretariat
The only element of jubilation in recent
years, they contended, was the reinstatement
of the chief justice of Supreme Court and
other deposed judges.
They had planned to stage a sit-in and
observe token hunger strike at the
Parliament House, coinciding it with
President Zardari’s address to the joint
sitting of the two chambers of parliament.
However, they were not allowed by the police
to do so.
Later, members of Pakistan Ex-Servicemen
Association (PESA) headed by Admiral (R)
Fasih Bokhari joined the protesters and
expressed solidarity with them.
“We request President Zardari to facilitate
freeing of our loved ones now. Some one from
the government must tell us, what is the
hurdle, where is the key to release our near
ones,” remarked Amina Masood Janjua, who
heads the DHR. Her spouse Masood Janjua, a
businessman, is missing since 2005.
She told this correspondent that they were
tired and wanted the state to fulfill its
constitutional responsibility and produce
those who were taken away on different
occasions. She stood under a big banner
inscribed with appeal to president, prime
minister and the chief of army staff to help
end their sufferings.
They chanted slogans on the Constitution
Avenue, as the convoys of the
parliamentarians and other guests sped away
after the presidential address to the
parliament was over.
Talking to The News, Admiral (R) Fasih
Bokhari said that they had decided to have a
sitting with the close-ones of the missing
persons so that a line of action could be
drawn on how to get them freed.
“This is sheer violation of all laws to keep
people hidden. It is also a transgression of
the concept of habeas corpus. Whoever is
behind this violation, must be held
accountable, as the argument that I or we
were following orders does not hold any
ground with reference to holding people in
unknown confinement,” he maintained.
PESA, he explained, intended to approach the
court of law after having a detailed
presentation from the relatives of the
missing people. “If at all, there are any
charges against them, they should be
produced before a court,” he said to a
question.
Lashkar Khan, who had come all the
way from Quetta, said that he lost his young
brother Chakar Khan on February 06 and never
heard about him afterwards. He was a
businessman. He has three children, spouse
and ailing parents.
He said his missing brother had no
connection with any political or religious
party. “It appears, his case is like
hundreds of others, who had gone missing in
Balochistan,” he said.
Spouse of Dr Abid Sharif said her husband
was taken away on September 16, 2005 on his
way to Peshawar, where he was to setup a
medical camp to provide free help to the
ailing people.
Yet another such a case is of Tahir Mehmood,
28, who ran a truck stand in Nowshehra. He
is missing since February 04, last year.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=169694
http://www.balochwarna.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=178
source
www.balochwarna.com
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