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HRCP writes to interior minister on ‘picking up’ of Mr. Saleem
Baloch, Vice President, JWP
Karachi, 3 January 2007 : The ‘picking up’ of Mr. Muhammad Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President of Jamhoree Watan Party, one of the
victims of enforced disappearances, who had narrated an account of his ordeal at a Press Conference organized by HRCP on December
20, 2006 in Karachi, is distressing.
HRCP has reason to believe Mr. Saleem Baloch was targeted as he had spoken about his illegal detention, torture and interrogation. Mr.
Saleem Baloch was picked up and disappeared on March 10, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Since then his whereabouts remained unknown. After the illegal detention / disappearance of more than 09 months he was recovered on
December 16, 2006. He was again ‘picked up’ by dozens of personnel of law enforcement agencies on December 31, 2006 from Lyari,
Karachi in front of eye witnesses .
In a letter to the Federal Interior Minister, HRCP’s Secretary General, Mr. Iqbal Haider, and Vice Chairperson, Ms. Zohra Yusuf have sought
the immediate release of Mr. Saleem Baloch. The letter sent to the interior minister is attached.
Iqbal Haider Zohra Yusuf Secretary General Vice Chairperson of
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
LETTER HRCP/320/2007 January 3, 2007
Mr. Aftab Khan Sherpao
Federal Interior Minister
Interior Ministry, Government of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
RE-ARREST / DISAPPEARANCE OF MR. SALEEM BALOCH
Dear Sir,
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is deeply disturbed to learn that Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) have re-arrested /
disappeared Mr. Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President, Jamhoree Watan Party, who had been illegally detained earlier for more than 09
months and had narrated an account of his ordeal at a Press Conference organized by HRCP on December 20, 2006 in Karachi.
HRCP has reason to believe Mr. Saleem Baloch was targeted as he had spoken about his illegal detention, torture and interrogation, apart
from naming other such victims of 'enforced disappearances' he encountered. Mr. Saleem Baloch was picked up and disappeared on
March 10, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi by the police and other law enforcement agencies. Since then his whereabouts remained unknown.
After the illegal detention / disappearance of more than 09 months he was recovered on December 16, 2006 .
He was again ‘picked up’ by dozens of personnel of law enforcement agencies on December 31, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi in front of eye
witnesses .
HRCP is deeply concerned about the victim's security and strongly believe that his life is in grave risk. HRCP, therefore strongly urges you
to take prompt action and to issue orders to the concerned authorities to:
1. release Mr. Saleem Baloch unconditionally
2. if there are any charges against him, these must be disclosed, along with the place of his detention and name of the court.
3. restrain the authorities from torturing, victimizing, and harassing Mr. Baloch or implicating him in fabricated cases
4. allow the undersigned, other advocates and members of his family to meet Mr. Baloch.
We will appreciate immediate action with intimation to us.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
Iqbal Haider Zohra Yusuf
Secretary General Vice Chairperson
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Baloch, Vice President, JWP
Karachi, 3 January 2007 : The ‘picking up’ of Mr. Muhammad Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President of Jamhoree Watan Party, one of the
victims of enforced disappearances, who had narrated an account of his ordeal at a Press Conference organized by HRCP on December
20, 2006 in Karachi, is distressing.
HRCP has reason to believe Mr. Saleem Baloch was targeted as he had spoken about his illegal detention, torture and interrogation. Mr.
Saleem Baloch was picked up and disappeared on March 10, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Since then his whereabouts remained unknown. After the illegal detention / disappearance of more than 09 months he was recovered on
December 16, 2006. He was again ‘picked up’ by dozens of personnel of law enforcement agencies on December 31, 2006 from Lyari,
Karachi in front of eye witnesses .
In a letter to the Federal Interior Minister, HRCP’s Secretary General, Mr. Iqbal Haider, and Vice Chairperson, Ms. Zohra Yusuf have sought
the immediate release of Mr. Saleem Baloch. The letter sent to the interior minister is attached.
Iqbal Haider Zohra Yusuf Secretary General Vice Chairperson of
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
LETTER HRCP/320/2007 January 3, 2007
Mr. Aftab Khan Sherpao
Federal Interior Minister
Interior Ministry, Government of Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
RE-ARREST / DISAPPEARANCE OF MR. SALEEM BALOCH
Dear Sir,
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is deeply disturbed to learn that Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) have re-arrested /
disappeared Mr. Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President, Jamhoree Watan Party, who had been illegally detained earlier for more than 09
months and had narrated an account of his ordeal at a Press Conference organized by HRCP on December 20, 2006 in Karachi.
HRCP has reason to believe Mr. Saleem Baloch was targeted as he had spoken about his illegal detention, torture and interrogation, apart
from naming other such victims of 'enforced disappearances' he encountered. Mr. Saleem Baloch was picked up and disappeared on
March 10, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi by the police and other law enforcement agencies. Since then his whereabouts remained unknown.
After the illegal detention / disappearance of more than 09 months he was recovered on December 16, 2006 .
He was again ‘picked up’ by dozens of personnel of law enforcement agencies on December 31, 2006 from Lyari, Karachi in front of eye
witnesses .
HRCP is deeply concerned about the victim's security and strongly believe that his life is in grave risk. HRCP, therefore strongly urges you
to take prompt action and to issue orders to the concerned authorities to:
1. release Mr. Saleem Baloch unconditionally
2. if there are any charges against him, these must be disclosed, along with the place of his detention and name of the court.
3. restrain the authorities from torturing, victimizing, and harassing Mr. Baloch or implicating him in fabricated cases
4. allow the undersigned, other advocates and members of his family to meet Mr. Baloch.
We will appreciate immediate action with intimation to us.
Thanking you,
Sincerely,
Iqbal Haider Zohra Yusuf
Secretary General Vice Chairperson
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Story of an illegal Baloch detaninee
"I have lost faith in democracy. Pakistan does not deserve to be called an 'Islamic Republic'
where the government officials dictate the citizens and the latter continues to suffer as silent
spectators instead of fighting for our rights".
Salim Baloch, Senior Vice President, Jamhoree Watan Party.
"I have lost faith in democracy. Pakistan does not deserve to be called an 'Islamic Republic'
where the government officials dictate the citizens and the latter continues to suffer as silent
spectators instead of fighting for our rights".
Salim Baloch, Senior Vice President, Jamhoree Watan Party.
"There are still 14 Baloch illegally detained, and being severely tortured in (PUNJAB) Rawalpindi jail; Saleem Baloch revealed."
The gloomy statement came from Muhammad Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President of Jamhoori Watan Party who was recently
released from illegal detention of over nine months.
At a press conference organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Saleem disclosed that he had been victimised
for 282 days after he was picked up on March 10, 2006 from his home in Lyari.
His whereabouts were unknown until he was released on the night of Dec 11. During this detention period, Saleem was constantly
tortured and accused of being a part of the Bugti tribe.
"They interrogated about the late Nawab Akbar Bugti's family, BLA, Balach Marri and that they had, ammunitions of 50 million , of which I
had no idea. They also accused me of having relations with Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. I was also accused of signing a deal
with the president of a neighbouring Muslim state," he disclosed.
According to Saleem, after kidnapping him the police and other law enforcement agencies detained him in a bungalow in Defence for 39
days after which he was shifted to Rawalpindi on April 17.
Saleem said: "I was handcuffed and blindfolded and was kept in a small dark room. There were horrific picture on walls of that room i.e.
in one picture a man was hanging upside down with the ceiling, in the other picture a man was being slaughtered and in the third picture
some one's body was being drilled with a drill machine. I couldn't bear this entire horrific scene and fell ill. Later on I was shifted to
another room where people were being tortured in an inhuman way. I cannot express how glad I was to see the sunlight after I was
released."
According to Saleem Baloch he felt that he wasn't in any jail in Pakistan but as if he was in Guantanamo Bay or in Abu Ghraib in Iraq. He
further said that "for 60 day the vice jailer has been abusing and insulting me by using slang language against me. The jailer said; Who
will save now? Will Bugti save you?"
Saleem Baloch said in the same jail (Rawalpindi jail) Abdul Rauf Sasoli, Ahmad Khan Marri, Ameen Marri, Bilal Baloch form Karachi,
Tariq Hafiz, Haji dawood Mengal, Gull Ahmed Marri, Kareem Marri, Wadera Mir Asghar Khan Marri, Mir Hazar Marri, Misri Khan Marri, Mitha
Khan Marri, Murad Baksh Marri, and saeed Marri were detained. Among them Rauf Sasoli and Saeed Brohi were released later.
Saleem Baloch said "I don't consider myself alive anymore as I nearly lost my eyes sight and I even attempted suicide in jail, once I sat
on hunger strike to death then they took me to civil hospital where an army doctor treated me and said my eyes should be checked
immediately but they never let me do that test, because of that I am half blind today".
He said they were not even told about the martyrdom of their National leader Nawab Bugti Shaheed. He just found out about Nawab
sahib after his release which is very sad for him and he'll never forget this pain.
"One of the SHOs actually disgraced the Holy Qur'aan," he said. Moreover, he disclosed that the General-Secretary of his nationalist
party, Saeed Brohi, was also detained and harassed. They shifted them from one city to another including Multan and Sargodha until
finally releasing them in December.
"The officials never rightly informed us of the location. Even when they dropped us back to Karachi they said the locality was Saddar
although it was Punjab Colony," said Saleem, unable to explain the reason behind this deceitful attitude of the police officials.
They also threatened to kill him in case he approached the media or any human rights organisation, but Saleem was willing to take the
risk considering it important to get his message across to prevent the government officials from their illegal practices.
It was also learnt that 70 such cases of kidnappings have been reported from Karachi alone in the year 2006 and over 400 people have
'disappeared' since 2001. Similarly some 4,000 people have been picked up from Balochistan after the US-led 'war on terror' began in
2001.
"This rising trend is a clear violation of Article 4 of the state's constitution that provides that all citizens of Pakistan will enjoy the protection
of law and will be treated in accordance with law, this being an in alienable right of every citizen," added Ejaz Ahsan, Programme
Coordinator HRCP.
Moreover ordinary citizens have been victimised too. Reiterating its demands, the HRCP called upon the federal and provincial
governments and all the law enforcement agencies to ensure strict compliance in letter and sprit with the UN declaration on the
protection of all persons from enforced disappearances.
The gloomy statement came from Muhammad Saleem Baloch, Senior Vice President of Jamhoori Watan Party who was recently
released from illegal detention of over nine months.
At a press conference organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Saleem disclosed that he had been victimised
for 282 days after he was picked up on March 10, 2006 from his home in Lyari.
His whereabouts were unknown until he was released on the night of Dec 11. During this detention period, Saleem was constantly
tortured and accused of being a part of the Bugti tribe.
"They interrogated about the late Nawab Akbar Bugti's family, BLA, Balach Marri and that they had, ammunitions of 50 million , of which I
had no idea. They also accused me of having relations with Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden. I was also accused of signing a deal
with the president of a neighbouring Muslim state," he disclosed.
According to Saleem, after kidnapping him the police and other law enforcement agencies detained him in a bungalow in Defence for 39
days after which he was shifted to Rawalpindi on April 17.
Saleem said: "I was handcuffed and blindfolded and was kept in a small dark room. There were horrific picture on walls of that room i.e.
in one picture a man was hanging upside down with the ceiling, in the other picture a man was being slaughtered and in the third picture
some one's body was being drilled with a drill machine. I couldn't bear this entire horrific scene and fell ill. Later on I was shifted to
another room where people were being tortured in an inhuman way. I cannot express how glad I was to see the sunlight after I was
released."
According to Saleem Baloch he felt that he wasn't in any jail in Pakistan but as if he was in Guantanamo Bay or in Abu Ghraib in Iraq. He
further said that "for 60 day the vice jailer has been abusing and insulting me by using slang language against me. The jailer said; Who
will save now? Will Bugti save you?"
Saleem Baloch said in the same jail (Rawalpindi jail) Abdul Rauf Sasoli, Ahmad Khan Marri, Ameen Marri, Bilal Baloch form Karachi,
Tariq Hafiz, Haji dawood Mengal, Gull Ahmed Marri, Kareem Marri, Wadera Mir Asghar Khan Marri, Mir Hazar Marri, Misri Khan Marri, Mitha
Khan Marri, Murad Baksh Marri, and saeed Marri were detained. Among them Rauf Sasoli and Saeed Brohi were released later.
Saleem Baloch said "I don't consider myself alive anymore as I nearly lost my eyes sight and I even attempted suicide in jail, once I sat
on hunger strike to death then they took me to civil hospital where an army doctor treated me and said my eyes should be checked
immediately but they never let me do that test, because of that I am half blind today".
He said they were not even told about the martyrdom of their National leader Nawab Bugti Shaheed. He just found out about Nawab
sahib after his release which is very sad for him and he'll never forget this pain.
"One of the SHOs actually disgraced the Holy Qur'aan," he said. Moreover, he disclosed that the General-Secretary of his nationalist
party, Saeed Brohi, was also detained and harassed. They shifted them from one city to another including Multan and Sargodha until
finally releasing them in December.
"The officials never rightly informed us of the location. Even when they dropped us back to Karachi they said the locality was Saddar
although it was Punjab Colony," said Saleem, unable to explain the reason behind this deceitful attitude of the police officials.
They also threatened to kill him in case he approached the media or any human rights organisation, but Saleem was willing to take the
risk considering it important to get his message across to prevent the government officials from their illegal practices.
It was also learnt that 70 such cases of kidnappings have been reported from Karachi alone in the year 2006 and over 400 people have
'disappeared' since 2001. Similarly some 4,000 people have been picked up from Balochistan after the US-led 'war on terror' began in
2001.
"This rising trend is a clear violation of Article 4 of the state's constitution that provides that all citizens of Pakistan will enjoy the protection
of law and will be treated in accordance with law, this being an in alienable right of every citizen," added Ejaz Ahsan, Programme
Coordinator HRCP.
Moreover ordinary citizens have been victimised too. Reiterating its demands, the HRCP called upon the federal and provincial
governments and all the law enforcement agencies to ensure strict compliance in letter and sprit with the UN declaration on the
protection of all persons from enforced disappearances.