Activists want Rangers' policing powers withdrawn

State presenting incorrect data, claims peasants’ rights leader

KARACHI: Representatives of civil society organisations expressed on Friday concern over the increasing incidents of enforced disappearance of people from different parts of the province and asked the provincial government to withdraw the policing powers of the Rangers.
In a meeting, ‘Deliberations on Regaining Civic Freedom in Pakistan’, organised by Pakistan Civil Society Forum (Sindh chapter) and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), at the Piler Centre speakers said that over 61 political workers have gone missing in recent months.
The meeting discussed issues such as forced disappearances, harassment of human rights defenders, political victimisation and corrupt government officials.



Advocate Ali Palh, who deals with cases on human rights violations, said Pakistan is the signatory to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, 1998 but is not adhering to it. He said that filing petitions in higher courts is the only way to protect people’s rights.
Peasant rights leader Punhal Sario said it seems as if the state has failed to protect rights of citizens. He said the state was presenting incorrect data about missing persons.



Sario said the issue of forced disappearance has a long history. It happened during political and military regimes and disappearances started in Sindh after 2004.
Sario, along with activists and the parents of missing persons, had launched a long march from Hyderabad to Karachi, demanding the release of missing persons. During the march, the participants were pressured to quit while many activists were picked up by certain security agencies. He said an event would be organised on the International Forced Disappearance Day on August 30.



Farhat Perween of Now Communities, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum programme manager Jamil Junejo, activists Sattar Zangejo, Nazim Baloch, Abida Ali, Ellahi Bukhsh, Partab Shivani, Kapil Dev, Abira Ashfaq, Sara Malkani and others also spoke at the event.
A panel discussion was held on the issues faced by people of Thar especially from Gorano Dam and coal-fired power plants. Piler Joint Director Zulfiqar Shah said it is time that all the civil society organisations, lawyers, media persons and other people come on a single platform to take up the issues at local, national and international levels.