Kharotabad killings: Embassies declare victims innocent

Russian, Tajik envoys tell NA rights panel that their citizens had no criminal record.

ISLAMABAD:

Embassies of Tajikistan and Russia have informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights that their citizens who were killed in Kharotabad in May had no criminal record.

The committee was provided with the confirmation by both embassies through the Foreign Office at a meeting held here on Wednesday, presided over by chairman of the committee Riaz Fatyana.

On May 17, five foreigners, including three women, initially believed to be Chechens on a suicide bombing mission, were shot dead by police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops in Quetta. The five victims included four Russian nationals and one Tajik.

The Russian embassy informed the committee that there was neither any information about their citizens’ involvement in any kind of extremist activities or affiliation with any banned organisation in Russia nor did they find any record of previous convictions in courts of law.

The Tajikistan embassy said that according to the Analytical Information Centre of the Tajik Ministry of Interior, deceased national Mukumov had no record of involvement in any illegal activity and no criminal case was registered against him.

The committee was further informed that the government of Russia has clarified that the victims had all legal documents.

Meanwhile, the HR committee also condemned the recent killings of 26 pilgrims in Mustung in a sectarian attack and urged the government to take serious action against the responsible elements.

The members also recalled the incident of the Sialkot lynching last year in which two brothers were killed by a mob. The panel hailed the verdict of the Gujranwala anti-terrorism court for delivering justice to the victims’ family.



Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2011.