After 16 years, MQM MPA seeks justice for uncle’s brutal murder
Today Subzwari is the Sindh minister for youth affairs and an important member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). His letter to the Supreme Court refers to the alleged illegal arrest and extrajudicial killing of his uncle, Syed Aslam Subzwari.
Faisal has taken a cue from party leader Altaf Hussain who wrote his own letter, on October 19, to the chief justice, asking him to take notice of the alleged extrajudicial killings of his brother and nephew at the hands of law enforcement agencies, also in 1995.
Subzwari told The Express Tribune that it was his leader’s decision to write to the chief justice that had “shown him the way”. “If he is showing more and more faith in the courts, then I should too.”
In 1995, an operation was carried out against the MQM by then interior minister Naseerullah Babar. There could be hundreds of other similar cases that the party could potentially take up in a similar fashion.
In his letter, Subzwari states that his uncle, an MQM member who was elected and served as a councillor from 1987 to 1992, was allegedly detained by plainclothes police on July 6, 1995. According to the letter, the party and family members informed the press and tried to have Syed Aslam released. “Instead of following the legal requirements of Syed Aslam Subzwari’s arrest and bringing it to light in front of the world,” said the letter, “we learnt the next morning, on July 7, 1995, that SSP Central’s personnel had left his body at the Edhi morgue. At the morgue, we discovered that he had been brutally tortured and killed. His left eye had been drilled into in such a way that it had left his skull severely damaged. There were signs of torture on other parts of his body as well.”
The case was never officially taken up, according to Subzwari, because of the circumstances then. At the time of his uncle’s death, the “highhandedness of the law-enforcement agencies and the government machinery” prevented a case being registered.
In 1997, the family tried to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) but could not proceed against the police officer and was given a “cold shoulder”. “At that time we did not have Police Order 2002 which would allow people to approach the courts to seek the registration of cases,” Subzwari said.
Subzwari explained that he has chosen to go straight to the top, the Supreme Court, instead of the police because the latter is “politically motivated and has criminal records”. “Despite being a government functionary, I do not have much faith in the police,” he said. “The IG of Police admitted [in court] that 40% of the appointments were political. The rest, I believe, [rely] on influence and bribes.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2011.
COMMENTS (19)
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There must be inquiry for the killing of this murder & the justice must be provided to Mr. Subzwari. The killing in the era of 90s in Karachi was completely brutal and they are still left with no further inquiry or justice. Many of our loved ones were killed and tortured at that time and we were not even allowed to file a single FIR for their unfair killings. Police has lost its faith completely. Even the rangers in Karachi is doing the same unfair things with the 'particular' cast of people. Supreme court should take notice of it as they took suo moto notice of killings in Karachi last month.
@M. Ahmed: Sorry don't start a scuffle of minorities and majorities there isn't anything like majority and minority prevails here .this is a hateful word . all are Pakistani, Red Indians are in minorities in America but they gloat on being Americans,Blacks are in minorities, and had been victimized for decades by whites but they never declare themselves as "minorities" , and who stopped Obama a minority ,to enter in to the White House. but yes one thing that is a stigma for Pakistan is "son of the soil" menace that had been sown by a dictator and vulnerable are reaping being a victim.It is a poisonous dagger that had been stabbed in the back of the true patriotic Pakistanis, and I dont have to explain its definition here, you know it well. ,this prejudice is weakening the foundation of Pakistan,and God forbid if something bad ever happens to Pakistan it will be only for this rancorous thought of some bigoted people.and then there will be no time left for any excuses or reconciliation.Hope you would not mind.
@Parviz Sani: The Police cannot take action against the Army or do you think it can?
People have vanished from country into thin air and despite repeated ordders from the Supreme Court, they are not being produced by the powerful agencies.
its a good action by sabzwari, these police men have killed almost thousand of mohajirs just because they were mohajirs , they were educated and somewhere support MQM ,,,, sorry to say no body today dares to speak against these police mafias
No one should expect any justice from the SC because of the following reason: 1) The death sentence of Mumtaz Qadri has been delayed 2) Despite the presence of hundred of people the killers of Two brother in Sialkot are still missing. 3) In Karachi Rangers killed the young man in front of Naked eye of Camera but no justice is provided.
Don't entangle any murder case with "other" murder cases, as some try to dilute the impact, in retaliation,all tortures and crimes and killings of Urdu speaking people of Karachi have been seen in some perspective. these crimes or slaughtering of Urdu speakings had been done to quench the thirst of hatred against these descendants of the martyr of the 1947.and still in progress unobtrusively.Crime never becomes old or new. Somev Nazi Germans who fled their countries after killing Jews were at last stalked in some countries of south America and were punished.We can live amicably with each other without any prejudices if only we recognize and respect each others as true compatriots
@M. Ahmed: Unlike other minorities, unfortunately Mohajirs always want to be in power and tend to eliminate those who oppose them.
Best time to hide murder of Dr Shezad what a drama by MQM and its croco tears.
i am very sorry for Sir Syed Aslam Subzwari, It doesn't take a lot of thinking to realize who these people are, we cant just let go of them. for the sake of just humaity we have to take stand against murderers of innocents.
I think 18 Oct 2007 is also very important day when over 150+ innocent people died. That incident could be prevented if Ms Benezair Bhutto flew from Airport to his Palace, which she did after the bombing in 5 mins.
If a sitting minister does not have faith in the police than who has. I agree with the minister that his uncle"s murder must be investigated and the culprit duly punished.
Justice delayed is justice denied. I hope the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will live up to the expectations of the public and dispense timely justice to Mr Faisal Subzwari and many others like him.
Pakistan hosts minorities like Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Paris, Ahmadis and I would like to add Urdu speaking Mohajirs to the list of minorities. Any comments?
@Malik: I agree with you Malik. Every murder and every tragedy must be investigated and responsibility should be fixed. But the investigations must be fair, honest and impartial. It is justice is given to the people.
The 12th May incident must be investigated and whoever is found guilty should be brought to book and exposed in full public glare. Even if it be certain powerful institutions that have the status of sacred cow in our country.
**Staying with the Government many years MQM , now they have started political drama; one day with government & next day out. All this is done in national interest.It is difficult to discuss the merit of this case approaching Supreme Court. When you are in Government & do not have faith in police dept. It is difficult to understand the Logic?
This definitely should be investigated, as someone who grew up during the 92-97 era in Khi, I remember this very very well....and people we knew who went to his namaz-e-janaza reported that the body bore marks of brutal brutal torture by the law enforcement agencies. There are many other cases like these....they deserve justice too.