Pakistan: UN calls for probe into abductions and killings of journalists

Pakistan: UN calls for probe into abductions and killings of journalists

19 August 2011 –

The United Nations human rights office today urged the Pakistani Government to investigate numerous reports of abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly of journalists.

Since 2007, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received numerous reports of such human rights violations, spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

In the past week alone, it received reports on the killing of one journalist, Munir Shakir, in the western province of Balochistan on 14 August, and the disappearance of another journalist, Rehmatullah Darpakhel, three days earlier in North Waziristan on 11 August.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay spoke out back in March about the escalating trend of violations against journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists in Balochistan.

“We are very concerned that such incidents are not abating in Pakistan,” Mr. Colville said. “We call on all responsible parties to immediately stop such violations of human rights, and we urge the Government to take immediate steps to independently investigate these cases.”

He noted that Pakistan is cited by various journalist groups as one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous, places for media professionals, with at least 16 journalists killed in 2010. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), nine journalists have been killed in Pakistan so far this year.

“None of the cases have been investigated to the full,” said Mr. Colville.

He added that in Balochistan alone, there were reports that 25 people, including journalists, writers, students and human rights defenders, have been subject to extrajudicial killings within the first four months of 2011.

A report issued in June by Pakistan’s human rights commission revealed 143 cases of disappearances in Balochistan, including journalists, as of May this year. The same report listed 140 missing persons who were found dead in Balochistan between July 2010 and May 2011.

News Tracker: past stories on this issue

UN calls on Pakistan to probe abductions, extrajudicial killings of journalists

Geneva, Aug.20 (ANI): The United Nations (UN) Human Rights office has urged the Pakistan Government to investigate numerous reports of abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly of journalists, in the country.

Since 2007, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has received numerous reports of such human rights violations, spokesperson Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva.

In the past week alone, it received reports on the killing of one journalist, Munir Shakir, in Balochistan on August 14, and the disappearance of another journalist, Rehmatullah Darpakhel, three days earlier in North Waziristan on August 11.

"We are very concerned that such incidents are not abating in Pakistan," Colville said. "We call on all responsible parties to immediately stop such violations of human rights, and we urge the Government to take immediate steps to independently investigate these cases."

He noted that Pakistan is cited by various journalist groups as one of the most dangerous places, if not the most dangerous, for media professionals, with at least 16 journalists killed in 2010.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), nine journalists have been killed in Pakistan so far this year.

"None of the cases have been investigated to the full," said Colville.

He added that in Balochistan alone, there were reports that 25 people, including journalists, writers, students and human rights defenders, had been subject to extrajudicial killings within the first four months of 2011. (ANI)

3 robbers killed by cops in ‘staged’ encounter

By Shamsul Islam Naz

Published: April 12, 2011

Police said they were chasing the men, locals say cops had them in custody.

FAISALABAD:

Three bandits were killed in an alleged police encounter on Risal-e-Wala Road on Sunday night, while residents have said that the men were in police custody for over a week.

According to police officials, four armed motor cyclists stole cash and cell phones from Muhammad Anees. Anees was travelling in his car near Chartered Bank Circular Road when he was held at gun point and robbed. Police officials claimed that the bandits also stole Rs13,000 and a cell phone from another civilian before fleeing the scene.

On receiving information, a police contingent headed by Jhang Bazar Station House Officer (SHO) Farrukh Waheed, chased the robbers on the road. The bandits opened indiscriminate fire on the police officials, who responded in kind.

The encounter resulted in the death of three outlaws who have subsequently been identified as Bilal, Arshad and Yasir.

The fourth robber escaped the scene and police officials are searching for his whereabouts. “There was a shoot out and the three men were killed before we could bring them to justice,” SHO Waheed said.

However, independent sources claimed that the accused were in police custody for over a week and were shot in a staged encounter.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2011.

SAFMA to sue Mehr Bukhari and Zaid Hamid

Published: August 19, 2011

SAFMA says it will press libel charges against Zaid Hamid and Dunya TV channel over being labelled as RAW agents. PHOTO COURTESY: SAFMA

LAHORE:

The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) has condemned as “lies” an accusation made on television by Zaid Hamid that it has links to Indian agency the Research and Analysis Wing.

In its statement, SAFMA said leading media personalities had taken serious exception to the unfounded accusations made by Hamid against a media body of credible journalists of the South Asian region in a talk show hosted by Mehr Bukhari that violated all ethics of professional journalism. If Hamid, the press release said, has committed extreme defamation to incite public sentiment against SAFMA and its thousands of members, Bukhari, the Crossfire team, and the TV management had intentionally tried to malign the media body and its leaders by allowing such a provocative and damaging statement.

The media representatives, the press release said, expressed their serious concern over Crossfire’s slanderous programme anchored by Bukhari while taking exception to the dangerous trend in the electronic media of maligning various personalities and credible organisations. What is quite despicable, the press release further said, is that Hamid, Bukhari and her team, and the owner of the TV channel did not have the decency to invite a SAFMA representative to rebut the allegations aired by the TV channel.

The press release said senior journalists had endorsed SAFMA’s decision to sue the so-called analyst, anchor, her team, and the management of the TV channel. SAFMA office bearers have decided to issue libel notices to the concerned accusers and make them pay for their conduct, the press release added. PRESS RELEASE

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2011.

Punjab Milk Boards Ordinance ineffective for past 30 years

By Shamsul Islam

Published: August 20, 2011

Punjab Milk Boards Ordinance (PMBO) 1963 for regulating production, marketing and distribution of milk in Punjab, has virtually been ineffective and put under the carpet for more than 30 years giving little protection to consumers. PHOTO: FILE

FAISALABAD:

One of the most vital laws in the livestock and dairy sector, Punjab Milk Boards Ordinance (PMBO) 1963 for regulating production, marketing and distribution of milk in Punjab, has virtually been ineffective and put under the carpet for more than 30 years, leaving milk consumers at the mercy of the suppliers of adulterated and contaminated milk.

According to section 14 of the PMBO 1963, one of the functions of the board is “to ensure that an adequate supply of milk and its products, of good quality, is made available to the consumers of milk and milk products in local areas and for that purpose, to prepare and execute schemes for regulating production, marketing and distribution of milk and milk products.”

Recently, sale of contaminated milk and its products have been on the rise. Likewise, consumers have also complained that milk prices are constantly on the rise and no regulatory body is checking the hikes. Good quality open milk is being sold at Rs70 to Rs80 per kg while packed milk is being marketed by multinationals and other companies from Rs100 to Rs110 per kg.

The board is also supposed to notify the prices of milk with the approval of the government and make it public, according to the ordinance.

The Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development (PLDD) Director General Dr Irfan Zahid, when specifically asked why PLDD is not formulating and submitting the schemes as envisaged under the PMBO, said that he is not aware that such a law is still alive under the law books of Punjab.

He further said that PLDD is supposed to ensure provisions of breeding, treatments of animals and they are carrying out these functions, adding that it was not in their jurisdiction to check prices of milk and its products, nor do they involve themselves in the complaints of contamination in milk, as it is beyond their mandate, Dr Zahid asserted.

However, the secretary of PLDD did know about the ordinance, and conceded that PMBO ceased to be implemented since the early 80’s as the department had made no effort to make it functional.

New laws are being introduced by the Punjab government which will change the working of the dairy and livestock sector, the secretary said while adding these would bring huge foreign investment, job opportunities and some relief to the livestock breeders, who will be the main beneficiaries from the plans under preparation of the Punjab government.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2011.

Killings, Abductions Spike in Pakistan Among Journalists, Rights Workers

Killings, Abductions Spike in Pakistan Among Journalists, Rights Workers

Lisa Schlein | Geneva

Photo: AP

Pakistani journalists hold a protest rally and sit-in-protest outside the Parliament to condemn the killing of their colleague, Syed Salim Shahzad, this week after he reported being threatened by intelligence agents, in Islamabad, Pakistan, June 15, 2011 (file photo)

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights says it has received numerous reports of abductions, disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Pakistan for years, and those disturbing incidents are on the increase. The U.N. says the principal targets of such crimes are journalists, human-rights defenders and political activists.

The spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Rupert Colville, said in the past eight days alone, the U.N. Human Rights Office has received reports of the killing of one journalist in Baluchistan and the disappearance of another journalist in North Waziristan.

He says that various journalist groups cite Pakistan as one of the most dangerous places, if not the most dangerous place, for journalists.

"At least 16 were killed in 2010 and according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, nine journalists have been killed in Pakistan so far in 2011. None of the cases have been fully or satisfactorily investigated," said Colville. "In Baluchistan alone, there were disturbing reports that 25 people - this is a mix of journalists, writers, students and human rights defenders - have been extra-judicially killed within the first four months of 2011.”

Notorious cases, such as al-Qaida's kidnapping and brutal murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in 2002 are rare. Foreign journalists usually are not targeted. It is the homegrown journalists who are at risk.

Colville said the gravity of the risks they run is well documented by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. For example, he said, a commission report on Baluchistan reveals 143 cases of disappearances, including journalists, as of May 2011.

The same report lists 140 missing persons - journalists among them - found dead in Baluchistan between July 2010 and May 2011. The U.N. official said few, if any, of these crimes' perpetrators have been apprehended and brought to justice.

"We would like to see satisfactory investigations to make it clear what is happening. There are lots of rumors, lots of allegations about various cases and who is responsible, etc., and they do not seem to be satisfactorily explained," said Colville. "So I think it is key for everyone, including the authorities in Pakistan, to produce some clarity on what is going on."

The U.N. Human Rights office that monitors such events says it is gravely concerned that extra-judicial killings, abductions and disappearances are not abating in Pakistan. International human rights monitors are calling for an immediate stop to such violations, and urging Pakistan's government to take immediate steps to independently investigate these cases.

Minor murdered: Acting on a dream, man kills nephew

By Shamsul Islam

Published: August 19, 2011

Says he had stabbed, injured a man after a similar dream.

FAISALABAD:

A two-year-old child was choked to death in Raja Park on Thursday morning allegedly by his uncle who told the police ‘he was told to do so in a dream’.

Ayaz Ahmad was arrested by Samanabad police after he told his brother-in-law, Nadeem, that he had killed the boy, Shan Ali, and buried the body in a nearby graveyard.

Nadeem and Samnabad police officials were later led by the suspect to the spot where he had buried the body.

The body was exhumed and sent for a post mortem examination.

“I had had this dream for several nights,” Ahmed told the media at the police station. “I took it as a sign that I was required to kill someone,” he said.

He told the police that earlier he had stabbed and injured a man after having similar dreams a few months ago.

Ahmed had been staying at his sister’s house for some days. Neighbours said he was a drug addict.

Samanabad police have registered a case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The accused would be produced before a magistrate on Friday.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2011.