Rights meeting: Senate panel ‘dismayed’ by absence of top officials
Asks to list out names of missing persons so that compensation can be given to families
The issue of lack of facilities for Karachi jail prisoners was also discussed and the committee asked the chief secretary to organise medical camps for the inmates and to provide potable water facility inside the jail. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE
KARACHI:
The Senate’s functional committee on human rights has expressed ‘dismay’ over the absence of the paramilitary Rangers director general and Sindh police chief from Friday’s meeting in Karachi and decided to raise the matter before Senate chairman and the federal government.
The meeting, chaired by MQM’s Senator Nasreen Jalil in the committee room of Sindh Secretariat, discussed the missing persons’ case, detention of political workers, shifting of Karachi Central Jail to a safer place and provision of facilities to inmates.
PPP’s Senator Farhatullah Babar, Federal Minister for Human Rights Kamran Michael, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Sindh’s Additional IG Mushtaq Mahar and Ranger’s Brigadier Khurrum Shahzad attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Senate committee members grilled the Rangers and police representatives on the missing persons case and arrest of political workers from Karachi. The meeting was informed that 313 people had gone missing from Karachi of which 125 of them belonged to the MQM.
“What kind of measures have you taken to release the missing persons?” Jalil asked the additional IG and Brigadier Shahzad. Members of the standing committee unanimously asked the officials to list the names of the persons, who had gone missing in the last two years.
When asked about the 6,000 people arrested by Rangers during the ongoing operation in Karachi, Brigadier Shahzad said while the innocent have been released cases have been registered against those involved in criminal and terrorist activities.
When asked about the probe into the murder of MQM leader Farooq Sattar’s coordinator Aftab Ahmed, the brigadier said the case was in court and they could only present the report on the directives of the judiciary.
Participants at the meeting directed the Rangers and police to ensure that human rights are not violated at the time of raids conducted in Karachi.
Alluding to the August 22 incident when the MQM founder made anti-Pakistan remarks, Additional IG said around 100 MQM activists were detained after the speech and subsequent rioting but most of them were released soon after.
The issue of lack of facilities for Karachi jail prisoners was also discussed and the committee asked the chief secretary to organise medical camps for the inmates and to provide potable water facility inside the jail.
The meeting also reviewed the case of Gujjar Nullah victims, whose houses have been demolished after an anti-encroachment drive and asked the government to provide alternate plots to the victim families.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2016.
The Senate’s functional committee on human rights has expressed ‘dismay’ over the absence of the paramilitary Rangers director general and Sindh police chief from Friday’s meeting in Karachi and decided to raise the matter before Senate chairman and the federal government.
The meeting, chaired by MQM’s Senator Nasreen Jalil in the committee room of Sindh Secretariat, discussed the missing persons’ case, detention of political workers, shifting of Karachi Central Jail to a safer place and provision of facilities to inmates.
PPP’s Senator Farhatullah Babar, Federal Minister for Human Rights Kamran Michael, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Sindh’s Additional IG Mushtaq Mahar and Ranger’s Brigadier Khurrum Shahzad attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Senate committee members grilled the Rangers and police representatives on the missing persons case and arrest of political workers from Karachi. The meeting was informed that 313 people had gone missing from Karachi of which 125 of them belonged to the MQM.
“What kind of measures have you taken to release the missing persons?” Jalil asked the additional IG and Brigadier Shahzad. Members of the standing committee unanimously asked the officials to list the names of the persons, who had gone missing in the last two years.
When asked about the 6,000 people arrested by Rangers during the ongoing operation in Karachi, Brigadier Shahzad said while the innocent have been released cases have been registered against those involved in criminal and terrorist activities.
When asked about the probe into the murder of MQM leader Farooq Sattar’s coordinator Aftab Ahmed, the brigadier said the case was in court and they could only present the report on the directives of the judiciary.
Participants at the meeting directed the Rangers and police to ensure that human rights are not violated at the time of raids conducted in Karachi.
Alluding to the August 22 incident when the MQM founder made anti-Pakistan remarks, Additional IG said around 100 MQM activists were detained after the speech and subsequent rioting but most of them were released soon after.
The issue of lack of facilities for Karachi jail prisoners was also discussed and the committee asked the chief secretary to organise medical camps for the inmates and to provide potable water facility inside the jail.
The meeting also reviewed the case of Gujjar Nullah victims, whose houses have been demolished after an anti-encroachment drive and asked the government to provide alternate plots to the victim families.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2016.