Pakistan Federal Union of journalists (PFUJ) expresses deep concern over the decision of the BBC Urdu Service management to layoff forcibly majority of its reporters in Pakistan. “The decision is autocratic, arbitrary, unfair, without any justification and based on prejudice” Last week, the BBC managers and HR officer suddenly made an announcement of retrenching of 10 reporters out of 14 across Pakistan claiming the move will help to save them 180,000 pounds during the next year. The management’s argument lacks rationale because the service has horde of managers that claims a major share of the salary budget and they remain unaffected by the recent announcement. PFUJ President Pervaiz Shaukat and Secretary General Amin Yousuf said that the BBC Urdu Service itself had announced that 11 percent of the total budget saved in previous restructuring would be taken forward until 2014, which clearly means that the latest restructuring is unjustified.
“The decision means depriving reporters from livelihood whose years of hard work has played a significant role in making BBC one of the most credible news sources in Pakistan. They said that “The BBC reporters in Pakistan have been working under constant stress for several years due to an unusual increase in their workload and have at times risked their lives while performing their duties, or received threats for the kind of stories they were doing,” “Instead of recognizing their hard work, they are being constantly bullied, harassed, terrified, abused, mistreated and at times threatened with job sacking by the top management. “Bullying, harassment and discrimination is reported to be widespread in BBC Urdu Service. This is clear negation of BBC’s its own policy about respect at work place” PFUJ urge the BBC’s top management to immediately intervene and stop the BBC Urdu Service management from taking such arbitrary action“. We assure reporters of BBC Pakistan of our all-out support. PFUJ also demand that BBC’s management should probe circumstances under which they were sacked. REFERENCE: PFUJ expresses deep concern over layoff of the BBC Urdu Service Reporters by PFUJ http://pfuj.org/pfuj-expresses-deep-concern-over-layoff-of-the-bbc-urdu-service-reporters/
PESHAWAR: A Pakistani federal minister has announced a bounty of $100,000 on the maker of the American film “Innocence of Muslims” disrespecting the Holy Prophet (PBUH), DawnNews reported. Speaking here at a press conference on Saturday, the Federal Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that he was aware that it was a crime to instigate the people for murder, but he was ready to commit the crime. He added that there was no way to instill fear among blasphemers other than taking this step. The minister also called on members of the Taliban and al Qaeda for their support, saying that if members of the banned militant organisations kill the maker of the blasphemous movie, they will also be rewarded. The low-budget film titled ‘Innocence of Muslims’ has sparked fury and rage across the much of the Muslim world, including Pakistan. At least 23 people were killed and over 200 injured across the country on Friday — a day designated by the government to demonstrate love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and condemn the anti-Islam video. REFERENCE: Pakistan minister announces $100,000 bounty on anti-Islam film maker http://dawn.com/2012/09/22/pakistan-minister-announces-100000-bounty-on-anti-islam-film-maker/
1999 The Case of Samia Sarwar : There have been several reported cases of fathers bringing charges of zina against their daughters for marrying of their own accord. In one such case a woman, Sher Bano had eloped with a man who she had willfully married and was apprehended and arrested under the Zina Ordinance. On August 6, 1997 she was shot dead by her brother as she emerged from the court room in Peshawar (AI 15). In this way the Hudood Ordinance reinforces the practice of honor killing by legally formalizing the social control of women and their status as bearers of honor.
One of the most widely publicized recent cases was that of Samia Sarwar (also referred to as Samia Imran). Samia Sarwar married her cousin in 1989 in Peshawar. During the time of her marriage she was subjected to years of severe physical abuse at the hands of her husband. In April of 1995, she returned to her family's home to escape her abusive husband because he had thrown her down the stairs while she was pregnant with her second child. Though she was allowed to live with her parents, they would not allow her to get a divorce. When Sarwar expressed her 38
intention to get a divorce, her parents threatened to kill her. Hina Jilani, SaIWar's lawyer said, "Samia was a frightened, unhappy woman who felt very alone in a predicament that she couldn't deal with confidently." On March 26, 1999, Samia took the opportunity of her parents' absence for a pilgrimage to Mecca to flee to Lahore and seek help at the AGHS (a law firm that works on won1en's issues) and refuge in the AGHS-run shelter, Dastak. Because her life had been threatened, Sarwar refused to meet with any of her male relatives. However, because she needed her marriage papers in order to get a divorce, Sarwar agreed to meet with her mother. Their
meeting was set for April 6, 1999, in the office ofHina Jilani. Samia's mother came
accompanied by her uncle Yunus Sarwar and a driver, Habibur Rehman. When Jilani asked the men to leave the room, Samia'a mother said that she needed the driver's help in order to walk. At that point Habibur Rehman pulled out a gun and shot Samia in the head, killing her instantly. Jilani was also fired at, but the bullet missed. Shortly after Samia was killed, the gun-man, Rehman was shot as a result of his having threatened a security guard. Yunus Sarwar who was waiting in the antechamber, took hold of the AGHS paralegal Shahtaj Qisalbash and escaped with Samia's mother. Qisalbash was taken with them and she claims to have heard the father ask the two if"the job was done." Qisalbash was released unharmed (AI 20)(HRW Summary).
Though this crime was committed in full public view with several witnesses, nothing has been done to prosecute Sarwar's family. On April 20, police officers went to Sarwar's village to issue warrants for the family's arrest, but they were "shooed away" according to human rights organizations. Several reports were filed thereafter. The media reported that the response in NWFP oveIWhelmingly sided with the murderers. This attitude also surfaced in the Pakistani Senate. When Pakistan People's Party Senator Iqbal Haider presented a resolution condemning
the killing, Senator Ilyas Bilour said in reference to Asma Jahangir and Hina Jilani: "'We have 39 fought for human rights and civil liberties all our lives but wonder what sort of human rights are being claimed by these girls in jeans "'(AI 21). This exhibits the complete disregard for women's rights even at the most superficial level of rhetoric by some Pakistani political leaders. The fact that a cold-blooded murder was argued in such a fashion, even when there was such wide international media coverage, speaks to the absence of any public support for women in Pakistan.
The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce of which Samia's father was the president issued a statement on April 8 and 9, demanding that Jahangir and Jilani be dealt with in accordance with "tribal and Islamic law" and be arrested for "misleading women in Pakistan and contributing to the country's bad image abroad." Severalfatwas
Xi were also issued against both activists with reward money stipulated for their murderers. Finally, in April of 1999 Jahangir issued a First Information Report (FIR) with the police against 16 people for threatening the lives of her and her sister. She also called on the government to investigate over 300 cases of honor killings reported in 1998. At the time of Amnesty's report, the state had taken no action (AI 21). The case ofSamia Sarwar is one of many such cases reported in the last year. I have focused on this one specifically because it received wide international attention especially through the networks of women's human rights organizations. However, even with the international outcry against this injustice,
the state did not act. This case also exemplifies the dangerous nature of organizing for women's rights in Pakistan. Even at risk of their own lives, Jilani and Jahangir continue to speak out about injustices in Pakistan. REFERENCE: Women's Rights as Human Rights: The Case of Pakistan Nida Kirmani Senior Thesis Projects, 1993-2002 Dated: 1-1-2000 Recommended Citation
Kirmani, Nida, "Women's Rights as Human Rights: The Case of Pakistan" (2000). Senior Thesis Projects, 1993-2002. http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_interstp2/47/
2011: PESHAWAR: There are many names for pornographic movies, from the euphemistic (‘adult cinema’) to the nostalgic (‘under-the-counter videos’) to the plain short (‘porn’). Here is a relatively new one: ‘barband,’ which means porn in Pashto. At the Shama Cinema in Peshawar, every show is a full house. The ups and downs of the Pakistan film industry are irrelevant to this crowd. The harsh winters do not deter punters either. Even terrorism has no effect. Thanks to the alleged protection of the influential Bilour family and the active negligence of the ruling Awami National Party and its predecessor the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (a defunct umbrella group for religious parties), the audience is in safe hands. Khaklay Navay (Beautiful Bride) is the name of one pornographic movie recently shown on the cinema’s big screen. It ran for two months, opening on Eidul Fitr. A new film called Khaklay Jankay (Beautiful Girls) — which sounds like the prequel, though this is unconfirmed — was released in time for Eidul Azha. It is currently running, though there was a small break for 10 days out of respect for the holy month of Muharram. Four shows run every day. For early risers, there is the 11am screening. This is followed by shows at 3pm, 6pm and 9pm. The films are promoted through racy, raunchy posters pasted on the walls of Peshawar, often side-by-side with graffiti from religious groups. What’s more, the local industry seems to be a grower. Exciting news for enthusiasts is that in addition to the screening of adult English-language adult movies, the management has started the screening of porn in Pashto. Most of the films thus far have been dubbed into Pushto. Many have been foreign and often feature curvy Californian blondes, proving that anti-Americanism is not all-pervasive in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa. Most, though, seemed to have been produced in Lahore or other non-Pastho-speaking parts of Pakistan. Fans outside the cinema said that the exchange of Pakistani currency in some scenes proves the films are made within the country; in a boost for Pakistan’s ailing film industry, the cinema-goers also said the sound and camerawork is often of the highest quality. An employee at the cinema who, perhaps fearing his mother’s reaction, did not want his name publicised, said that Pushto adult movies are proving a bigger hit than English ones. He went on to say that drug-taking is an integral part of the experience; a haze of hashish smoke floats above the seats instead of more standard sensory accompaniments to the cinema experience, such as the crunch of popcorn. The employee added that a nearby cinema called Sabreena is also doing great business. For those with an image of Peshawar and its environs as a medieval-minded war-zone, the Shama Cinema sounds scarcely believable. This is a region where girls schools and shrines are destroyed, yet neither the religious parties nor the government have objected to porn being screened. Locals say there’s an easy explanation: the cinema is owned by the powerful Bilour family, which also happens to be tied to the Awami National Party. Who is behind such open secrecy? Everyone in Peshawar says the same name: the Bilour family. The family, however, denies any involvement. According to sources in the city, the cinema was once owned by senior minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour. It was passed on to Aziz Ahmed Bilour, federal secretary for industries, as the family assets were distributed. The cinema, it is believed, is now managed by close relatives of the Bilour brothers. When contacted by The Express Tribune, Aziz Ahmed Bilour said he had been busy doing public service in Islamabad since he left Peshawar two decades ago. He said he has not gone to the cinema since then. Aziz also insisted he does not own any cinema and does not know who owns the Shama Cinema. Indeed, as far as Aziz knows, the Bilour family has no involvement in the cinema business at all. However, he generously offered to lend a helping hand: “If it is transferred in my name, then it will be good and I shall look after the affair.” And so the Shama Cinema will carry on rolling the reels. The audience, no doubt, will keep on coming. Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2011. REFERENCE: Peshawar’s open secret: Hardcore fun for a hard-line city
By Fida Muhammad Adeel Published: December 19, 2011 http://tribune.com.pk/story/308659/peshawars-open-secret-hardcore-fun-for-a-hard-line-city/
ISLAMABAD: Hard-hitting journalist Matiullah Jan told JournalismPakistan.com on Friday night that it was untrue he had been fired by the DawnNews management and asked to clean out his office immediately. At the same time Mati hinted this status could change in a week’s time. Earlier, throughout Friday, reports of Mati being one of three big names to be sacked by DawnNews spread through the industry like wildfire. It had been reported that Mati, host of the controversial but hugely popular Aapna Gareban, had been shown the door along with Mubashir Zaidi, Editor DawnNews, and Azaz Syed. Strangely enough this information was confirmed by Dawn insiders as well as sources in other news channels, including Geo and ARY. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
Apna Gareban "Forcibly Closed" Dawn News Censorship. (Courtesy BBC)
آخری وقت اشاعت: جمعرات 30 جون 2011 , 16:34 GMT 21:34 PST
اپنے گریبان میں جھانکنا کتنا مشکل ہے، یہ بات مطیع اللہ جان اچھی طرح جان گئے ہیں۔ ڈان نیوز کے اینکر پرسن نے اس عنوان سے اپنا پروگرام شروع کیا تھا جس میں کسی اور کی نہیں بلکہ اپنے ہی طبقے یعنی صحافیوں کا احتساب کیا گیا۔ لیکن یہ پروگرام زیادہ دیر نہیں چل سکا اور بقول مطیع اللہ جان کے اس کے ایک پروگرام کی ریکارڈنگ جاری تھی کہ اسے بند کرنا پڑا۔ اسلام آباد سے آصف فاروقی کی رپورٹ:
It was said Mati was targeted because of his almost ‘missionary-like’ zeal to reveal the ‘truth’ about the media, politicians, and judiciary and of course, the military. Aapna Gareban is seen by many to have precipitated Mati’s downfall. In the program, which drew both extreme criticism and rave reviews, Mati exposed corrupt journalists. Mati has a reputation of being a straight talker and this trait has ruffled more than a few feathers in all four areas of interest. On the other hand, insiders at DawnNews say Mati was part of a ‘power lobby’ that did not sit well with the management and especially with the new Director News Zahid Mazhar. They say Mati, Mubashir and Azaz have been told their last working day was May 31st. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
Asghar Khan Interview Dawn News 29 January 2012 (Part 01)
This could fit with Mati’s assertion that his status might not be the same in a ‘week’s time.’
While Mubashir has been reportedly running from pillar to post, meeting with the heads of news channels in a bid to land a job, Mati has put forward the idea for establishing a journalists’ emergency fund, a sorely needed respite for many media persons going through a difficult phase such as being jobless, especially at a time when most news channels and newspapers have been going through downsizing. While his proposal has largely been greeted enthusiastically and considered a meaningful and badly needed initiative, there exists a certain lobby bent on discrediting Mati and accusing him of attempting to make “a quick buck.” Those that know Mati say this accusation is the result of envy and vindictiveness. Mubashir, it has been learned tried to meet Dawn Editor Zafar Abbas to land a job, but was not successful. He is also said to have tried to approach Zafar Siddiqui, the owner of Samaa and CNBC but got the cold shoulder. Meanwhile, resignation letters have reportedly been prepared for Mati, Mubashir and Azaz, according to a source within DawnNews HR. The three have been given up till May 31st to resign. If they do not, termination letters will be issued. Industry watchers are waiting with bated breaths to see what happens. The buzz is that the trio will resign and that it is the only option open. REFERENCE: Mati not out of DawnNews just yet Steve Manuel JournalismPakistan.com May 26, 2012 http://journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=142
General (R) Mirza Aslam Beg Misbehaves & Attacks Journalist Azaz Syed (Dawn News)
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 Unidentified people attacked the house of a reporter of DawnNews in the early hours of Tuesday and damaged property. The attackers did not cause any physical harm to Azaz Syed and his family, and left after hurling stones at the house and damaging his car. Mr Syed told Dawn that his younger brother woke him up at around 3am after sensing commotion outside their house in Alipur Town. In the meantime, the attackers started hurling stones. This lasted for a few minutes, terrorising the three members of the family and Mr Syed`s cousin. His father went out after the situation calmed down and found the main gate locked from outside. The windscreen of the car was smashed. Mr Syed said there were three attackers, of whom two hurled stones at the house and one stayed in a vehicle. Later, he contacted the Rescue 15 service, which sent Shahzad Town police to inquire about the incident. “I have no idea who the attackers were, but suspect that an intelligence agency was behind the incident,” he said. A complaint had been lodged with the SDPO of Rural Circle, he added. Journalists covering Senate and National Assembly proceedings walked out from both the houses of parliament in protest against the incident. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, PML-N MNA Sardar Ayaz Saddiq and ANP Senator Zahid Khan went to the press lounge and were briefed about the incident by journalists` representatives.
Mr Malik “apologised” to Mr Syed for the incident and promised that the culprits would be brought to book. He said he had asked the deputy inspector general (operation) to hold an inquiry and submit preliminary findings by the evening. The minister announced that he had suspended the official in charge of Rescue 15 for not reaching the place in time. He said the station house officer concerned would also face action if he had failed to respond promptly. Mr Syed said police had responded in time and the minister had been misguided. “I request the minister to reinstate the official.” A statement issued by DawnNews said unknown people had attacked the house of investigative reporter Azaz Syed. They locked both gates of the house, leaving the terrorised family inside. The windscreen of his car was also smashed. The attack happened a day after Mr Syed was threatened by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sleuths over an investigative report he was preparing about the military. The DawnNews management said it would take up the matter with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar and ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Athar Abbas as well as journalist unions and human rights organisations. The management urged the authorities to initiate a high-level inquiry. REFERENCE: DawnNews reporter`s house attacked By Our Staff Reporter http://archives.dawn.com/archives/41491
ISLAMABAD Abdul Islam Siddiqui, a soldier of the Pakistan Army hanged in 2005 after an in-camera military trial for his alleged involvement in the Dec 2003 attack on then president Pervez Musharraf`s convoy, was denied right to file writ in any superior court, Dawn investigations show. The case of six other co-accused from the Air Force is currently in the apex court. Two of the soldiers turned prosecution witnesses, but alleged torture and coercion by military authorities nevertheless. “The military authorities tortured us to get a false statement against Siddiqui. Brigadier Feroz, who was supposed to be our defending officer, threatened us into get our signatures on an English-language statement. “Prosecutor Brigadier Liaqat threatened us with dire consequences unless we signed the statement and Siddiqui`s defending officer, a major whose identity I`ve been unable to ascertain, was browbeaten by military court officials every time he tried to argue in Siddiqui`s support,” claims a former soldier Hafiz Mohammad Ashfaq. He was subsequently released but dismissed from service without benefits.
Havaldar Mohammad Younis, another witness who deposed against Siddiqui and is currently incarcerated in Gujranwala jail, also alleged torture. In an undated hand-written note to his family, he claimed that he was subjected to torture for 10 months in Rawalpindi cells to extricate a false statement against Siddiqui. “I filed an appeal before Maj-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha [current ISI Chief and the then military judge hearing appeals against conviction] who merely completed the procedural formality before upholding my sentence,” Younis said in his note. “He did not provide a lawyer or summon my witness and did not even care for my refusal to depose before him.” Attempts to secure the army`s version of events failed as military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas did not respond to calls or a detailed text message.
“Recent Supreme Court verdicts have established that persons convicted by military courts have the right to file writs in high courts,” said former attorney-general Malik Mohammad Qayyum. “I recently represented some Air Force personnel in a similar case in the SC, which upheld their right to move the judiciary against the military court verdict.” Siddiqui was prosecuted by in-camera trial and executed on Aug 20, 2005. Record shows that he was sentenced to death before Dec 25, 2004, when this fact was officially announced. Siddiqui`s family quote him as saying that he had filed appeals before military appellate courts right up to the army chief, but all were rejected. “The appeal process in the army is contradictory,” said Colonel (retd) Akram, a former military lawyer. “When the army chief confirms a death sentence, the convict can file an appeal in a military court of appeal which is headed by a military officer subordinate to the army chief.” He added that it was strange that General Musharraf — the target of the attempted murder — decided the fate of an appeal as the army chief. And, had Siddiqui been allowed the due process of the law, his mercy petition would have been presented to Pervez Musharraf in his capacity as president.
Under the law, such appeals — once rejected by the army chief and confirmed by appellant military courts — go to high courts and then the Supreme Court. If the appeal is rejected by the apex court, a mercy petition is filed before the president. In Siddiqui`s case, the process of law appears to have been short-circuited. President Musharraf rejected Siddiqui`s appeal as army chief and when this was confirmed by an appellate military court, it was interpreted by jail authorities as a rejection of his mercy petition by Musharraf in his capacity as the president.
“You are hereby informed that your son Islam Siddiqui, who was sentenced to death for an attempt on the life of the president and whose appeals have been dismissed, including a mercy petition that has been rejected by the president of Pakistan, will be hanged to death [sic] on Aug 20, 2005,” said the Aug 13, 2005, letter from the jail authorities to Siddiqui`s father Karim Buksh, mother Maria Kalsoom and brother Umer Islam Siddiqui. Siddiqui`s family members accuse jail officials of stopping them from challenging the death sentence in superior courts. “Ten days before his scheduled execution, I reached Multan jail accompanied by our lawyer and the prison authorities refused to let us meet my brother saying that the army had strictly forbidden it,” said Umer Islam Siddiqui. Normally, jail authorities are responsible for filing appeals for such convicts from jail,” said Shah Khawar [then acting attorney-general and currently the deputy AG] when contacted in December. Mr Qayyum said that military officials could still be held accountable. “The family of the hanged soldier can still seek action against military authorities by filing writ in the High Court,” he said. “The name of the Abdul Salam Siddiqui never formally appeared in the previous proceedings of the lower courts; we were told by the prosecutor that he was hanged in the same case but his case details were not provided,” said advocate Col (retd) Akram.
“If a military court awards the death sentence to any accused persons, it has to be verified by the chief of the respective armed forces; since he was the Chief of Army Staff at the time, Gen Musharraf must have signed his death warrant,” said another lawyer, advocate Altaf Malik who is representing the air force personnel. Colonel (retd) Akram, said that they never knew that there was a seventh accused in the case. “We came to know about him through media reports after his execution and later the army prosecutor told me that since he was an army man, his case was separated from the Air Force persons,” said Akram. “Even if he was involved in the assassination attempt, though, he should have been tried with the rest of the accused persons.” 35-year-old Siddiqui, a father of three who worked for Company No. 1 of the Defence Services Guard, was charged with pressing the button of the remote control device which caused an explosion on Jhanda Chichi Bridge on Dec 14, 2003. Immediately prior to his execution, Siddiqui wrote a two-page letter to his family claiming innocence. REFERENCE: Convict in Musharraf attack case denied appeal By Azaz Syed and Matiullah Jan - Abdul Islam was hanged in 2005 after an in-camera military trial for his alleged involvement in the Dec 2003 attack on then president Pervez Musharrafs convoy.-File photo http://archives.dawn.com/archives/44282
عزاز سید کا کہنا ہے کہ گزشتہ دنوں آئی ایس آئی کے اعلیٰ افسران نے انہیں اپنے دفتر طلب کر کے سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی تھیں
پاکستان میں انگریزی زبان کے نیوز چینل ’ڈان نیوز‘ کی انتظامیہ نے حکومت سے مطالبہ کیا ہے کہ چینل کے ایک رپورٹر کے گھر پر نامعلوم افراد کے حملے کی تحقیقات کی جائیں۔
دوسری جانب صحافتی تنظیموں نے اس واقعے کے خلاف احتجاج کا اعلان کیا ہے۔
اسلام آباد میں ’ڈان نیوز‘ کے رپورٹر اعزاز سید کے مطابق نامعلوم افراد نے پیر اور منگل کی درمیانی شب ان کے گھر پر حملہ کیا اور پورچ میں کھڑی ان کی گاڑی کو نقصان پہنچانے کے بعد گھر کو باہر سے تالے لگا کر فرار ہو گئے۔
چینل انتظامیہ کی جانب سے جاری ہونے والےایک بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ ان کے تحقیقاتی رپورٹر کے گھر پر یہ مبینہ حملہ ’انٹیلی جنس ادارے آئی ایس آئی کی جانب سے اعزاز سید کو ملنے والی دھمکیوں کے بعد ہوا ہے‘۔
پاکستانی فوج کے ترجمان اس خبر پر ردعمل کے لیے دستیاب نہیں تھے۔
اعزاز سید نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ وہ پاکستانی فوج کے بارے میں ایک تحقیقی رپورٹ پر کام کر رہے تھے جسے روکنے کے لیے، ان کے بقول، ’گزشتہ دنوں آئی ایس آئی کے اعلیٰ افسران نے انہیں اپنے دفتر طلب کر کے سنگین نتائج کی دھمکیاں دی تھیں۔ان افسران کا کہنا تھا کہ آئی ایس آئی کے سربراہ مجھ سے خوش نہیں ہیں لہذا مجھے اپنی رپورٹنگ میں قومی سلامتی سے متعلق اداروں اور افراد کے نام لینے سے پرہیز کرنا چاہئے‘۔
’ڈان نیوز‘ انتظامیہ کے بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ وہ اس واقعے کے بارے میں صدر مملکت، وزیراعظم، وزیردفاع، وزیرداخلہ اور وزیراطلاعات کے علاوہ فوجی حکام اور صحافتی اور انسانی حقوق کی تنظیموں کو بھی مراسلے بھیج رہے ہیں تاکہ اس جرم میں ملوث افراد کو بے نقاب کرنے کے لیے اعلی سطحی تحقیقات کی جائیں۔
صدر مملکت کے نام لکھے گئے خط میں ڈان نیوز کی انتظامیہ نے کہا کہ ’ڈان نیوز‘ کے صحافیوں کو اس سے پہلے بھی بعض افسران کی جانب سے ہراساں کیا جاتا رہا ہے۔ خط میں آئی ایس آئی کے ایک افسر کا نام، فون نمبر اور عہدہ بھی بتایا گیا ہے جس نے مبینہ طور پر اعزاز سید اور چینل کے ایک اور رپورٹر مطیع اللہ جان اور ان کے اہل خانہ کو ہراساں کرنے کی کوشش کی تھی۔
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that it was a criminal negligence to bring changes in the documents like Objectives Resolution as former president General (retd) Zia ul Haq tampered with the Constitution in 1985 however, the sitting parliament had done a good job by undoing this tampering. At one point Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that the word ‘freely’ was omitted from the Objectives Resolution in 1985 by a dictator, which was an act of criminal negligence, but the then parliament surprisingly didn’t take notice of it. He said the Constitution is a sacred document and no person can tamper with it. The chief justice said credit must go to the present parliament, which after 25 years took notice of the brazen act of removing the word relating to the minorities’ rights, and restored the word ‘freely’ in the Objectives Resolution, which had always been part of the Constitution. The chief justice further said that the court is protecting the fundamental rights of the minorities and the government after the Gojra incident has provided full protection to the minorities. “We are bound to protect their rights as a nation but there are some individual who create trouble.” - DAILY TIMES - ISLAMABAD: Heading a 17-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry termed as criminal negligence the deletion of a word about the rights of minorities from the Objectives Resolution during the regime of General Ziaul Haq in 1985. Ziaul Haq had omitted the word “freely” from the Objectives Resolution, which was made substantive part of the 1973 Constitution under the Revival of Constitutional Order No. 14. The clause of Objectives Resolution before deletion of the word ‘freely’ read, “Wherein adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to ‘freely’ profess and practice their religions and develop their culture.” DAILY DAWN - ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Tuesday praised the parliament for undoing a wrong done by the legislature in 1985 (through a constitutional amendment) when it removed the word ‘freely’ from a clause of the Objectives Resolution that upheld the minorities’ right to practise their religion. The word “freely” was deleted from the Objectives Resolution when parliament passed the 8th Amendment after indemnifying all orders introduced through the President’s Order No 14 of 1985 and actions, including the July 1977 military takeover by Gen Zia-ul-Haq and extending discretion of dissolving the National Assembly, by invoking Article 58(2)b of the Constitution. After the passage of the 18th Amendment, the Objectives Resolution now reads: “Wherein adequate provision shall be made for the minorities freely to profess and practise their religions and develop their culture.” The CJ said: “Credit goes to the sitting parliament that they reinserted the word back to the Objectives Resolution.” He said that nobody realised the blunder right from 1985 till the 18th Amendment was passed, even though the Objectives Resolution was a preamble to the Constitution even at the time when RCO (Revival of Constitution Order) was promulgated. REFERENCES: CJ lauds parliament for correcting historic wrong By Nasir Iqbal Wednesday, 09 Jun, 2010 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/32657 - CJP raps change in Objectives Resolution * Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry says deletion of clause on rights of minorities was ‘criminal negligence’ * Appreciates incumbent parliament for taking notice of removal of clause by Gen Zia’s govt in 1985 By Masood Rehman Wednesday, June 09, 2010 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=201069\story_9-6-2010_pg1_1 CJ lauds parliament for undoing changes in Objectives Resolution Wednesday, June 09, 2010 Says minorities’ rights have to be protected; Hamid says parliament should have no role in judges’ appointment By Sohail Khan http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=29367&Cat=13&dt=6/10/2010
PLACE BELOW IS THE CONTENT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE MADE BY DR RAJ KUMAR, MATERNAL UNCLE OF RINKLE KUMARI, ON 30TH APRIL 2012 PUBLISHED IN AWAMI AWAZ AND OTHER PAPERS” “18th April decision of the bench headed by the Chief Justice Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Chowdhury, in Rinkle Kumari Case, has made a murder of justice in a same manner as Justice Moulvi Mushtaq case did in Zulifqar Ali Bhutto case. On 18th April it was generally believed by the world and particularly in Sindh that Supreme Court of Pakistan after hearing the cries which Rinkle made and the statement she gave in the Supreme Court on 26th March, in which she had said that she by choice prefers to go with her mother, and also on 10th April Supreme Court by rejecting to hear the petition of Naveed Shah, thus was again reinforcing a hope for the oppressed Hindu minority of Sindh that Supreme Court will look into their ordeal with fairness. On 18th April the tea break began at 11:00 AM which normally is for half an hour was prolonged to one and half an hour. At about 12:45 PM when Lata and Rinkle were brought before the court, Rinke stared to her parents and begged by folding her two hands, showing chit in her hand. The bench comprised on three judges started hearing the case of kidnapped Hindu girls, and without being heard the kidnapped girls’ statement in the court, the Court announced that all three Hindu girls have converted in Islam and the police may take them and ask them where they want to go and thus leave them to that address. Such decision of court is beyond our mind's eye. After all what pressure did chief justice was fraught with that he altogether ignored to the statement Rinkle Kumari gave on 26th March before this bench of Supreme Court of Paksitnan? It was such a statement of Rinkle Kumari, whose acknowledgement was made by no one else but the CJP himself on 10th April while rejecting the petition of Naveed Shah? Prior this decision of Supreme Court of Pakistan on 27th March the Meerpur Mathelo town was cordoned off by the police and thus made impossible for the family of Rinkle Kumari and the Hindu community to reach to local court, and her so called confessional statement u/s 164 Cr.P.C was said as recorded before the magistrate. At that time hundreds of armed men under the command of Mian Mitho of Bharchondi and his sons were present in the court and kept it under its siege. After that they got Rinkle along by holding her neck and one arm tight. After that, it was announced she has become Muslim with so rejoice, that it was looking as if they had conquered an enemy’s country. A few days after this incidence Mian Mitho, MNA PPP has himself admitted the fact before a pvt channel that after the request of the Police he had taken the responsibility of security of the local court when Rinkle was produced before the court. By such statement of him it appears that he wanted to say that the responsibility of providing the security in Ghotki District is not a job of Police or Rangers or any official department but it is a responsibility of Mian Mitho of Bharchondi. Before this statement of Mian Mitho, his son Mian Aslam is also on record saying to pvt channel that it was he who brought Rinkle in his custody on 25th Febuary, from Ghotki to Sukkur. In nutshell in all court appearances of Rinkle from Mir Pur Mathelo, Ghotki, Sukkur to Sindh High Court Karachi it was Mian Mitho who brought Rinkle in his custody and yet every time police claims that it was police under whose custody was Rinke produced before every court. It is a open secret that when Rinkle was made to have a press conference in Karachi Press Club on 11th March, she went in the custody of the persons of given by Mian Mitho of Bharchondi. After getting confused seeing the quality of the questions of the journalists they quickly got Rinkle from her Arm and left the Press Club Karachi. This fact is also acknowledged in the reporting of BBC, Daily Dawn and Awami Awaz. This is also fact that we had shown confidence before the court in the Shelter House headed by Justice(R) Majida Rizvi. But after the program of Hina Gillani on Dawn Tv it was unearthed before us that one cannot rely on any women shelter of this country, it is fact that these women shelter homes are virtual brothels. And that was why Rinkle Kumari before Supreme Court of Pakistan was crying in a fit of hysteria that she should not be sent to any women shelter home and said “ I will die but not go to shelter home, I will not get justice in this country” All these facts mentioned above are stored in our mind like a horror movie. This has turned our sleeps into a nightmare, but if even a little smaller incidence had occurred to any girl of affluent family this must not have had happened to her. But unfortunate Rinkle was neither a daughter of any Feudal lord, or if any Peer, but she was a daughter of primary teacher and more worst is also that the teacher father of Rinkle Kumari is also a Hindu. And also the decision of Supreme Court of Pakistan without having had heard the girls in the witness box tells the fact that these courts are also religiously influenced. Otherwise it is impossible that court could give custody of kidnapped Rinkle back to kidnappers and the police who were also part of the crime against her. The criminal role of police who were in connivance with kidnappers is subjudice in the Sindh High Court. Before the Registrar Office Rinkle Kumari had said to Comrade Amar Lal that right from Ghotki to Sukkur to Karachi in all the criminal activity she was made subject to along with Mian Mitho of Bharchondi and her sons the police had also been doing same with her. Rinkle also told to comrade Amar Lal in the Supreme Court she is drowsy because of the injection passed in her. The chit that was passed in the hand of Rinkle was made through police, in which her statement was drafted which she gave in the registrar office as her statement. In 1947 it was not all voluntarily migration of Hindus, the same tactics were applied also at that time too to make forced migration of Hindus. And same conspiracy has been again made against Hindus this time to force them to migrate. If all Hindus are forced to migrate what will happen of those Mulim patriot Sindhis than, perhaps all decisions this time may take place against them also. It is very unfortunate that sindhi politicians, journalist and writers are criminally silent on the injustice, abuses inflicted on the Sindhi Hindus. Today when they are silent Rinkle Kumari is still looking for the space and passage that she can come back to her parents. Like daring and bold historic character of Marvi she is not ready to succumb before the tyrants. She is still in struggle against them to get free. Which also is vindicated from the fact that she did not talk even she was forced in one tv program, which fact has also been acknowledged by some newspapers. Our struggle to get Rinkle Kumari free from Bharchondis is on and shall continue till we achieve her freedom. I urge upon all the forums of human rights in the world and in this country to please come forward and highlight the ordeal of Sindhi Hindus who due to predetermined prejudice mindset, are been forced and subject to live under oppression or leave the country.”
Sindhi Language: Rinkle Kumari Case Amar Jaleel with Advocate Amar Lal (Sindh TV 25,03.12)
In the little town of Reharki in Ghotki district, a sprawling multi-acre complex sits among fields just off the main road. Known as the Reharki Darbar, it houses the Sant Satram Das temple and is just a few kilometres from the Bharchundi Sharif shrine, which has become the focal point of allegations that Hindu women are being forced to convert to Islam. At one end of the Reharki Darbar, an enormous hostel is being constructed for visiting pilgrims, while a recently completed causeway donated by the federal government provides easy access to temple sites at either end of the massive grounds. In mid-April, according to caretakers at the darbar, tens of thousands of visitors will gather at the complex for a festival marking the death anniversary of Bhagat Kanwar Ram, a popular Sufi poet and singer who was killed in communal riots in 1939, allegedly by the then-custodians of the Bharchundi Sharif shrine. “It’s a great event and people come from all over, even outside Pakistan, from Dubai and India,” said Aneel Batra, a local community leader. The large Bharchundi Sharif shrine in Daharki, the source of much consternation among the Hindu community in recent days, and the even-larger Sant Satram Das temple complex in adjacent Reharki symbolise the contradictions of the lives of Hindus in upper Sindh. In the districts of Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur and Larkana, a mixture of lower-caste peasants and well-to-do businessmen, traders and professionals do suffer sporadic violence and must contend with a strain of intolerance evident since the Zia era. However, the Hindu communities’ ancient ties to the land, their integration into Sindhi society and their wealth allows them to work and live in northern Sindh relatively free from the systematic repression that Christians in south Punjab or Ahmadis across Pakistan suffer. Discrimination against and outright repression of Hindus is far more pronounced in south-east Sindh, where the vast majority of Hindus in the province, many of them lower-caste peasants, live in Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Sanghar. REFERENCE: Hindus of upper Sindh: a bruised community carries on Cyril Almeida 3rd April, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/04/03/hindus-of-upper-sindh-a-bruised-community-carries-on/
Dargah-e-Aliya Qadriya Pir Abdul Sattar Bharchundi Sharif
Mufti Naeem's Fatwa against Ahl-e-Hadith & Barelvis
Mufti Naeem's Fatwa against Barelvis
ISLAMABAD: A reported statement by Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) Khawaja Muhammad Sharif that the Hindu community was funding terrorism in Pakistan, irked members of the National Assembly, as many of whom joined minority members and walked out in protest. The lawmakers also demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry take suo motu notice of the CJ’s remarks. Ramesh Lal, a minority lawmaker from the Pakistan People’s Party, raised the issue on a point of order and censured the CJ’s remarks, saying the Hindu community in Pakistan was as patriotic as the rest of the country and the remarks were highly uncalled for. Lal announced a token walkout and was joined by a few other members belonging to different parties, including the Awami National Party. He said the remarks hurt the over three million Hindus in Pakistan, adding the statement was against national unity. Labour and Manpower Minister Khursheed Shah tried to defend the CJ, saying he could not have made such a statement and might have referred to India and not the Hindu community. REFERENCE: LHC CJ’s remarks irk NA members Wednesday, March 17, 2010 http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C03%5C17%5Cstory_17-3-2010_pg7_6
MIRPUR HINDU GIRL KIDNAPPED- PRESS CONFERENCE PART 1
As many as 20 to 25 girls from the Hindu community are abducted every month and converted forcibly, said Amarnath Motumal, an advocate and council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. “There is no official record to support this statement, but according to estimates, in Karachi alone, a large number of Hindu girls are being kidnapped on a routine basis,” Motumal told The News. “The families of the victims are scared to register cases against the influential perpetrators as death threats are issued to them in case they raise their voice. So, the victims choose to remain silent to save their lives,” he said. Motumal said the word ‘Hindu’ had become an insult and a kind of abuse for the Hindu community. “Almost 90 per cent of the Hindu community comprise poor and impoverished families whose needs and rights have been neglected by the ones at the helms of power,” he said, adding that since a majority of the people feel helpless, only a few families come to him with their cases. A former MPA, Bherulal Balani, said that the Hindu girls, especially the ones belonging to scheduled castes, were mostly being abducted from the Lyari area. “Once the girls are converted, they are then sold to other people or are forced to do illegal and immoral activities,” Balani said. He added the perpetrators were very powerful and that was the reason that no cases were being registered against them. The number of attacks against the Hindu community has increased in the interior Sindh during the last three months. At least nine incidents have been reported which range from forced conversion of Hindus to rape and murders. In one incident, a 17-year-old girl ‘K’ was gang-raped in Nagarparker area. In another incident, a 15-year-old girl ‘D’ was allegedly abducted from Aaklee village, Tharparkar, and was forced to convert. About 71 families migrated from the village in protest against the girl’s abduction. Moreover, the Hindu communities were not even spared on the occasion of their joyous festival of Holi as two girls, Anita and Kishni, were kidnapped in Kotri. Moreover, two Hindu boys, Ajay and Sagar, were abducted from another place on the same day. One Amir Gul was murdered in the beginning of March in Tando Haider, Umerkot, allegedly by a landlord. Later in the month, a boy, Kishan Kumar, was kidnapped from Kandhkot, Jacobabad. MPA Pitamber Sewani told The News that these acts were being done by certain elements who believe that these minority communities might support the government in the upcoming local bodies’ elections, and these elements want to harass them. However, President Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar criticised the minorities’ representatives for not raising their voice at relevant forums. He said that they were simply representing their respective parties and not the poor people. He added that poor economic conditions had led to an increase in kidnapping cases in the province, especially in the Kandhkot and Jacobabad areas. Coordinator HRCP Task Force Sindh Dr Ashothama Lohano told The News the according to their one fact-finding report, the most affected persons of violence belonged to Hindu and Christian communities. He said that various reasons have been cited for this. “The recent wave of extremism is one reason, which has destroyed the harmony of the land of Sufis. Another reason is the destruction of the agriculture sector and small markets that has led to frustration and lawlessness. Yet another reason is that the elected representatives are working only for the party and not for the community,” Dr Lohano added. He further said that minority communities were easy targets as the Hindus were generally hesitant to raise voice against the injustices. “When the Hindu communities become politically active, they are blamed for having Indian connections,” doctor Lohano said. REFERENCE: 25 Hindu girls abducted every month, claims HRCP official Rabia Ali Tuesday, March 30, 2010 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=231616&Cat=4&dt=3/31/2010
BARELY days after the Punjab chief minister was caught playing to the Taliban gallery, another high official from the province is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. This time, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Mohammad Sharif has sparked outrage for reportedly saying that Hindus were responsible for financing acts of terrorism in Pakistan. The remarks came while the judge was hearing two identical petitions against the possible extradition of Afghan Taliban suspects. It may well have been a slip of the tongue by Mr Sharif, who might have mistakenly said ‘Hindu’ instead of ‘India’ — nevertheless it was a tasteless remark to say the least. Although such remarks warrant criticism what makes them worse is the position of the person who makes them. These sort of comments are the last thing one expects to hear from a judge, that too the chief justice of a provincial high court. What sort of message are we sending to our minorities, as well as to the world, when the holder of such a respected public office makes comments that come across as thoughtless? The Hindu members of the National Assembly walked out of the house on Tuesday to protest the remarks. The members said the comments had hurt the feelings of Pakistani Hindus — and there is no doubt that they had. REFERENCE: Tactless remarks Dawn Editorial Thursday, 18 Mar, 2010 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/32510
MIRPUR HINDU GIRL KIDNAPPED- PRESS CONFERENCE PART 2
KARACHI, March 6: Preetamdas is a doctor doing a hospital job and also running his private clinic, yet all he thinks about is leaving Pakistan, terrified over a rise in what he believes the `targeted killing and kidnapping of Hindus`. A successful professional, he lives in Karachi with his wife and two children, but comes from Kashmore. His ancestors lived in Sindh for centuries and after the 1947 partition, his grandparents chose to stay with Muslims in Pakistan. They fervently believed Muhammad Ali Jinnah`s promise that religious minorities would be protected. Sixty years later, their grandson says “life in Kashmore has become unbearable. The situation is getting worse every day.” Two of his uncles have been kidnapped and affluent Hindus are at particular risk from abduction gangs looking for ransom, he argues. Rights activists say the situation is indicative of `progressive Islamisation` over the last 30 years that has fuelled an increasing lack of tolerance to religious minorities, which they claim, are too often considered the second class citizens. Preetamdas says the only thing keeping him in Pakistan is his mother. “She has flatly refused to migrate, which hinders my plans. I cannot go without her,” he says.Hindus make up 2.5 per cent of the country`s population and over 90 per cent of them live in Sindh, where they are generally wealthy and enterprising, making them vulnerable to criminal gangs. An official at the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi who declined to be named said: “Every month about eight to 10 Hindu families migrate from Pakistan. Most of them are well-off.” He had no comment on whether the number was on the rise, but Hindu community groups in Pakistan say more people are leaving because of kidnappings, killings and forced conversions of girls to Islam. “Two of my brothers have migrated to India and an uncle to the UAE,” says Jay Ram, a farmer in Ghotki. “It`s becoming too difficult to live here. Sindhis are the most tolerant community in the country vis-Ã -vis religious harmony, but deteriorating law and order is forcing them to move unwillingly,” he feels. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council and a former lawmaker from Sindh, alleges that Hindus are picked on by kidnappers and that their daughters are subject to forced conversion to Islam. “Every now and then we get reports of families migrating. It`s getting worse now. People are extremely harassed and are forced to leave their homeland but our rulers are shamelessly idle,” he moaned. Rights activists also claim that Hindus in Sindh are discriminated against. “Recently 37 members of five Hindu families migrated to India from Thull town owing to discrimination while three Hindus, including a doctor, were murdered in the Shikarpur district,” said Rubab Jafri, who heads a human rights forum. “Lots of violent incidents happen daily. Most go unreported, which shows vested interests are trying to force Hindus to leave Pakistan.” According to the Pakistan Hindu Seva, a community welfare organisation, at least 10 families have been migrating from Sindh every month since 2008, mostly to India, and in the last 10 months, 400 families have left Pakistan. A survey conducted last year by the local Scheduled Caste Rights Movement said more than 80 per cent of Hindu families complained that Muslims discriminated against them by using different utensils when serving them at food stalls. “Hindu migration is a brain-drain for Pakistan as most of them are doctors, engineers, agriculturists, businessmen and intellectuals,” Ms Jafri said. But the provincial auth- orities are reluctant to recognise a problem. “I do admit that law and order in some districts of Sindh is quite bad, but it is bad for everyone and not just my community,” said Mukesh Kumar Chawla, the Sindh Minister for Excise and Taxation. “Hindus do not migrate in flocks as has been claimed and those who migrate are going abroad for a better fortune,” he said.—AFP REFERENCE: Killings, kidnappings & `conversion` haunt Hindus From the Newspaper | 7th March, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/03/07/killings-kidnappings-conversion-haunt-hindus/
ISLAMABAD, March 16: It was a rare, judge’s turn to be judged in the National Assembly on Tuesday as Hindu members staged a walkout to protest at reported remarks by the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice alleging Hindu financing of terror attacks in the country. Some members of the Awami National Party too joined the first walkout against the judiciary in Pakistan’s parliament before the protesters were brought back to hear words of sympathy for the injured sentiments and some advice for judges to focus on delivering justice rather than publicity despite a government minister’s statement that the remark by Justice Khawaja Mohammad Sharif while hearing a case in Lahore on Thursday seemed to be “a slip of the tongue”. The protest was the second raised in the house over press reports in as many days after sharp criticism of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif over his appeal to Taliban in a speech to a seminar in Lahore on Sunday to spare his province terror attacks because of some shared views with his PML-N party. PPP’s Hindu member Romesh Lal, who raised the issue, said sentiments of an estimated four million Pakistani Hindus had been injured by the LHC chief justice’s remarks, as reported in a section of the press, that while terrorist bomb blasts were being carried out by Muslims, “money used for this came from Hindus”. The member said if a country was suspected of sponsoring such attacks it should be named, but blame should not be put on just Hindus who, he said, were as good patriots as other Pakistanis. While drawing attention of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to what he called worry caused to Hindus, he appealed to Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to take suo motu notice of Justice Sharif’s remarks. As Inter-Provincial Coordination Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and some other members of the ruling PPP went out of the chamber to persuade the protesters to return, party chief whip and Labour and Manpower Minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah told the house the judge seemed to be blaming India for financing the Taliban rather Hindus, adding he was sure a clarification would come “by tomorrow”. PML-N’s Rashid Akbar Niwani said judges should devote to dispensation of justice instead of seeking publicity as he also advised the media to exercise “restraint”, particularly blasting unspecified television anchorpersons who, he said, should also be held accountable for their earnings together with “heads of (government) institutions” as often-maligned elected politicians. REFERENCE: A judge is judged in NA, with walkout By Raja Asghar Wednesday, 17 Mar, 2010 http://archives.dawn.com/archives/44079
Videos of 17-year old Rinkal Kumari (aka Faryal Shah) and her alleged kidnapper/husband Naveed Shah being taken to court, with English explanations - his handcuffs are removed, she's surrounded by a mob of men (no women), the PPP MNA Mian Mitho and his supporters are there in full force. How will justice be done in such a shameful atmosphere of intimidation and open display of arms?
Express News Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Hindu girls are being forcibly kept in various madrassas in Sindh and are later forced to marry Muslims, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Dr Azra Fazl told the National Assembly on Thursday. She was speaking on issue of Faryal Shah (Rinkle Kumari) who was allegedly abducted and forced to marry and convert to Islam earlier this month in Sindh. While speaking on the point of order, Fazl said that Hindus are facing a lot of challenges in Sindh. She stressed the need for legislation to protect minority rights and to end forced conversions. Fazl, who is also the sister of President Asif Ali Zardari, highlighted the issue in the parliament at a time when her brother received a sharply-worded letter from California Congressman Brad Sherman urging him to take action to ensure the return of Faryal to her family, pursuant to reports that she had been abducted with the help of a PPP lawmaker. Nafeesa Shah, another MNA from Sindh also endorsed her colleague’s idea and said that the parliament should introduce legislation on “forced conversions”. Various non-Muslims were being forced to accept Islam as being reported by the media, she observed. “Protection of the minorities should be ensured as enshrined in the Constitution,” Shah added. Majority of lawmakers including Lal Chand and Mehish Kumar representing minorities in the parliament expressed concerns over the kidnapping and forced conversions of Hindu girls. They said it was the right of every person to accept any religion but nobody can be forced in this regard. MNA Justice (retd) Fakhar-un-Nisa stressed on the implementation of laws when it comes to solve the issue of minorities. “Minorities’ rights should be protected at all cost.” Giving a policy statement on floor of the House, Minister of State for Interfaith Harmony and Minorities Affairs Akram Masih Gill said that the present government has taken unprecedented steps for the uplift and empowerment of minorities. He said these include fixation of five percent quota in government jobs and declaration of August 11 as the Minorities Day. “Parliament should enact a law to avoid forced conversions,” he remarked. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shehnaz Wazir Ali said that under the 18th Amendment, four seats have been reserved for minorities in the Upper House. “During the last few years several laws have been enacted including Human Rights Commission for the protection of the rights of women and minorities.” Forced Islamiat lessons for minorities Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Dr Araish Kumar added to the conversation by saying that the minorities were being forced to read Islamic studies in Pakistan. “Our students are being forced to read subject Islamiat in the government schools,” Kumar said adding, “If they refuse to study Islamic studies, they are struck off by the school administration.” REFERENCE: ‘Hindu girls being forcibly kept in Sindh madrassas’ By Zahid Gishkori Published: March 15, 2012 http://tribune.com.pk/story/350431/hindu-girls-being-forcibly-kept-in-sindh-madrassas/
ARY ONE NEWS Pakistan
LAHORE: Prof Ashok Kumar is not afraid of taking a prominent stance on the Rinkle Kumari issue. Fear, he says, is secondary compared to what is happening to the Hindu community in Pakistan, in particular Sindh. “We can’t just sit back and watch what our community is going through,” he says. The recent case of Rinkle Kumari is not altogether an uncommon occurrence. Several young Hindu girls have been kidnapped in the dead of night from their homes, and dragged off to be forcibly converted to Islam, as they and their family members have later alleged. Usually this conversion is accompanied by a signing of the ‘nikahnama’ which strengthens the kidnappers’ side of the story, but still does not provide any kind of proof whether the marriage was done under duress or not. On Thursday, protesters belonging to the Hindu and Christian communities in Lahore, accompanied by representatives of the Joint Action Committee (a group of social organisations), gathered outside the Lahore Press Club and shouted slogans in response to the slow treatment of the case, venting anger at religious fascism, forcible conversion, and a lack of support from the government. Ashok Kumar, a professor of Sindhi language in the Linguistics Department of the Punjab University, is one of the protesters. There are others too, students, professionals, young women, social workers, but the turnout has not been very high. “We only decided this last night so couldn’t inform everyone on such short notice,” said Shahtaj Qizalbash from AGHS Legal Aid. But Tanveer Jahan, also a member of the JAC, gives a more direct reply. “When it comes to minority rights, or any such sensitive issue, one just cannot expect any mass participation in Pakistan,” she says. “You can just forget about the masses.” She says that both sides of the picture are grim – one side which does not support, and only watches the situation passively, while the other side which does come out on the streets but does so for its own vested interests and exploitation. “It is social workers like us who are stuck in the middle.” “Down with mullah-ism!” shout the protesters, and a small number of drivers slow down on the busy section of the Simla Hill roundabout to see what the commotion is about. While many simply shake their heads and carry on, some are affected nevertheless, like Mehr Muhammad, a contractor. “It is a sin to take away anyone’s rights like that,” he says, as he stands by watching the protest. “No religion allows this trampling of religious freedom. These girls should not be kidnapped and converted through force…how is it even conversion?” he questions, his brow furrowing over the worrying situation. But another man has a completely different opinion. “Isn’t it a blessing if anyone is being converted into a Muslim?” he questions. The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected two petitions, one filed by Rinkle’s husband, and the other filed by the father of another Hindu girl Dr Lata, from Jacobabad. The two wanted to meet the girls, but the apex court observed that the two girls should be allowed to make a decision on whether they want to go with their parents or husbands based on a freewill therefore they were sent to Panah, a shelter home run by human rights lawyer Dr Majida Rizvi, where they will stay isolated till the court summons them again. The matter is to be taken up again on April 18. The matter has been tangled yet further with the alleged involvement of Mian Mithu, a PPP MNA from Ghotki, where Rinkle was kidnapped, and also one Naveed Shah, who was a close associate of Mithu. “Even when Nafisa Shah and some other PPP MNAs tried to move a resolution against this issue in the assembly, Mian Mithu did not support it,” says Tanveer Jahan. “I simply ask if an FIR has already been lodged against these two then why are they not under arrest?” Another girl, Asha is still missing and Dr Ashok says: “The state of the Hindu girls being converted is terrible. Since January there have been at least 47 kidnappings. Another point to observe is that this is only happening to young girls, never boys or elders.” Peter Jacob, worker for minorities’ rights, says this forcible conversion is not restricted to just Hindus and in Sindh. “In the last five years, there have been up to 400 to 500 conversions of Christians. And something equally horrifying, I know of: forcible circumcision of young men in Punjab and one in Balochistan…where are we going, one asks.” In feudal terms, owning another party’s woman is having the upper hand. That coupled with marriage, gives the perpetrator more strength. No one knows what becomes of many of the girls after being married. Meanwhile, many Hindus feel that they are simply being harassed so they leave the country forever. “But this is not just an issue restricted to Sindh,” says one. “This protest is meant to be calling out to the whole nation…Why does no one raise their voices for our rights too?” he asks. REFERENCE: Speaking out against forcible conversion By Xari Jalil 13th April, 2012 http://dawn.com/2012/04/13/speaking-out-against-forcible-conversion-fm/
Quite amazing! The unification of every Sectarian Pakistani Mullah on this issue to support this "issue" last night (23 April 2012) Dawn news showed a footage of Procession of Mian Mitthu and guess what JUI (F) and Jamat-e-Islami Flags were evident in the rally - one should raise a question to these leaseholders of Islam that usually they raise hell in the name of Fiqh, Maslak and Sects and even resort to attack on Shrines then what happened now that nobody is questioning the faith of Rinkle - did anybody ask what Sect Rinkle embraced? These Mullahs particularly the Deobandi, and Barelvi who don't offere Salat (prayers) behind each other and hound mercilessly have thousands of Fatwa of apostasy against each other then how come these very Mullahs are supporting a Dacoit Handler (Paatharedar) and Qabar Parast 9Grave worshipper) of Worst kind - God damn filthy politics in the name of Islam - someone has very bravely pointed out on that those who have done this actually damaged Islam and Pakistan more than any Hindu would ever do - just a question? how would they react if any girl decide to become Vishnu in India - these Deobandi, Barelvis, Wahabis and even Shia would raise hell .
Mufti Naeem's Fatwa against Ahl-e-Hadith & Barelvis
Mufti Naeem's Fatwa against Barelvis
News Beat 14th April 2012(Forced Conversion Issue in Sindh)
Deobandi Fatwa against Dr Zakir Naik Jamia Binoria Pakistan of Mufti Naeem
Malalai Yusafzai, the brilliant Pakistani girl who defied Taliban’s dictation and stood firm on getting educated and persuaded her peers to do so, is a face of Pakistan that we all want to see. More and more. With pride and denial. We like to see Malalai in denial of Rinkle. Rinkle Kumari, the 19 years old Sindhi Hindu girl who was kidnapped and allegedly forcibly converted to Islam before coercively marrying her to a Muslim Naveed Shah. The ones who show this uncomfortable face of Pakistan are condemned to be the ‘traitors’ and ‘Pakistan-haters’. If trying to correct these painful imperfections of our society is treason, let me commit it for once. Rinkle’s story needs to be told loudly and to everyone.
Rinkle was kidnapped on February 24 by Naveed Shah and four other people. Police refused to lodge an FIR and to include the names of the influential Mian Aslam, Mian Rafique and their father Mian Mithu. She was produced in the court of Civil Judge Ghotki where she insisted on going to her family but the judge illegally sent her to the police custody in Sukkur Women’s Police Station.
In sheer mockery of the President of Pakistan and his party Co-Chairperson, Mithu announced in front of many civil society activists that if Rinkle’s custody is snatched from him, he will set Mirpur Mathelo ablaze. The president had given a media statement against forced conversions earlier that day. “Come what may, justice will have to prevail” was the answer in a firm strong voice when I asked Raj Kumar, Rinkle’s uncle, if he was scared. Probably this resolve has come from years of persecution and injustice. “It has been decades that Hindu girls have been abducted and forcibly converted. We hear little or no voice at all against this oppression,” said Amar Lal, counsel to Rinkle Kumari’s family.Notwithstanding the support that media and civil society demonstrated for Rinkle, the state response remains an enigma. The Chief Justice of Supreme Court opened a long pending constitutional petition against forced conversions, filed in 2007 by Pakistan Hindu Council, and contained the names of three relatively recent cases of forced conversions including Rinkle Kumari. It was this intervention that finally infused courage in Rinkle Kumari, who spoke her heart to the CJ in camera on March 26, following which he announced in presence of national and international media that Rinkle wanted to go to her mother while Lata was double minded. He ascertained that the girls seemed to be under serious pressure, were continuously crying, were refusing to go with police. In such circumstances, honourable Chief Justice opined that before recording any free-will statement, they should be provided free atmosphere. He ordered to shift her to Panah, the shelter home run by Justice (R) Majida Razvi in Karachi. As soon as he made this announcement, Rinkle screamed in front of media that she wanted to go to her mother. After the CJ passed orders to shift her to the shelter house, Rinkle started crying and screaming in the court, as reported by KTN TV channel, that she wanted to go to her mother. She also shrieked ear-piercingly that she will not go to the shelter house and would rather like to sleep in the court. It was heart rending to hear her say in the court that she doubted if she could get any justice in a system where majority is Muslim and wanted to make her Muslim forcibly, which is why she thought they were helping each other, not her. Prior to this hearing, every event that happened under this case screamed at the loudest, sheer weakness of the system of justice, moral bankruptcy in our institutions, our collective hypocrisy and helplessness of the highest state authorities to reign in the rogue elements of the society.
Hindu community was completely banished from attending court proceedings in Mirpur Mathelo, the other party, however, did not have any such pressure. While only four family members of Rinkle Kumari were allowed in the premises and only two in the courtroom, thousands of Mithu’s men chanted slogans outside the court and hundreds were present inside the court. An open display of weapons was a clear message to the court and judges, who could not ask any of the weapon-wielding Allah-o-Akbar chanting beards out of the court. Under these circumstances, when Rinkle was still in police custody, god knows how she managed to organize a press conference among, of course, Mian Mithu’s men and with a Bluetooth mobile device stuck in her right ear. West is bad for conspiring against Islam, but Western technology is apparently good for Islam’s spread!
When she was being dictated via blue tooth, Rinkle tried hard to satisfy questioning journalists and forgot what inspired her to embrace Islam. ‘Sura Eeklus’, she tried to pronounce Sura Ikhlaas twice, unsuccessfully though. When asked about the meaning or gist of the contents of Sura Ikhlas, she was dumbstuck and was forcibly taken out by Mithu’s son. Yes, you read it right. While in Police custody, she was under complete control of Mithu’s men. Media also learned in this press conference that Rinkle actually does not even know Naveed Shah, who she was married to hours after abduction. At 5am she was abducted from her home on February 24, at 3pm the same day she was married. Honourable Court might ask Mithu what made him make this important decision of the life of an independent woman, even if she had embraced Islam, in such a hurry?
One is flabbergasted to see so many of us not asking some basic but direct questions. Who is Mian Mithu? What is his interest for pursuing this case? He is neither Sajjada Nasheen of Bharchundi Shareef, as had been wrongly reported by some section of media initially, nor he is remotely related to Naveed Shah, with whom Rinkle allegedly eloped and embraced Islam. The Sajjada Nasheen (caretaker) of the Bharchundi Shareef dargah, Mian Abdul Khaliq, who happens to be Mian Mithu’s nephew has categorically condemned what Mithu has done under the garb of Islam. Not only him, Sajjada Nasheens of many other Dargahs (shrines) have joined in condemning Mithu’s actions, including Dargah Shah Latif, Dargah Jhok Sharif, Dargah Sachal Sayeen and Jot Jalan (the man who lights the candle / diya at the shrine) of Dargah Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Even the Council of Islamic Ideology’s Maulana Shirani has categorically said that forcible conversion is no conversion, is rather a sin.
On April 10, Mian Mithu along with many of his supporters, held a seminar in an expensive hotel in Islamabad. In the seminar, Mithu is reported to have threatened the Supreme Court that if it gives judgment against him, he will not follow the apex court, but will follow the shariah – his own version thereof. When reminded about the President, who is head of the party Mithu belongs to, Mithu was reported to be quick to disdainfully say, “I will see the president. No one dares challenge me”. After threats from Mithu and firing by his men on Manohar Lal, Rinkle’s grandfather, the whole family had to leave Mirpur Mathelo and shift to Karachi. Three top men from Hindu community of District Ghotki are pointedly under Mithu’s threat, renowned human rights activist Mr Amar Lal, saint Sadh Ram, Rinkle’s uncle Mr Raj Kumar. No one seems to have any control on the power of this unrestrained self proclaimed clergyman.
The important question that the Superior Court has is, what will Rinkle’s family, Hindu community of District Ghotki and especially these three respectable men would do if Rinkle is allowed to join her family after the upcoming hearing on 18th March? Who will provide security to them? Is the rotten and visibly tilted structure of state institutions to be trusted by the down trodden? Is the Superior Court empowered enough to provide justice and security to Hindu community of Ghotki? If not, who will? This case poses biggest challenge to the Superior Court in its entire history. The Hindu community, in this case, represents the most down trodden sections of the society, which came out on streets in 2007 in the hope of an independent justice system. This justice system includes law enforcing agencies and lower courts. Even if Rinkle goes back to her family, an independent judicial enquiry on the role of Ghotki Police and Civil Judges should be instituted and criminal record of Mian Mithu and his sons should be produced in the court. The question arises why in last six months, kidnapping of Hindu girls, forced conversions and abduction of Hindu and Christian youngsters and saints is increased? “They want us to leave the country. They are forcing us to flee from our motherland. But we will not deter,” said Amar Lal, Rinkle’s counsel.
It is sheer mockery of judiciary when the powerful uses its system to oppress the powerless, that too, with impunity. Mithu mocked not only the law but the honourable court as well, when he sent his armed men to the court premises. He ridiculed police and all law-enforcing mechanism when he fetched Rinkle in his private car and arranged her press conference when she was in police custody. He belittled the parliament when being a part of it he violated law of land. He scorned the head of the state when he said he “will see the President”. Will any of these pillars of the state respond with iron will? REFERENCE: Rinkle Kumari – the New Marvi of Sindh Apr 18 by Marvi Sirmed Originally published in The Friday Times in its April 13-19, 2012 issue http://marvisirmed.com/2012/04/18/rinkle-kumari-the-new-marvi-of-sindh/
