KARACHI: The families of 10 missing persons have complained that the law-enforcement agencies only target men from their community.
Most raids are conducted in Shia-dominated neighbourhoods and that is causing panic and unrest in the community, said the family members.
They were speaking at a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
Shia scholar Maulana Mirza Yousuf was also present with the families that were carrying pictures of their missing relatives and shouting slogans against the government and law-enforcement agencies.
The missing persons include Husnain Abbas, a resident of Orangi Town, two brothers, Tanveer Abbas and Mazher Abbas, residents of North Karachi Sector 10, Pervez Zaidi, a resident of Orangi Town No. 10, Sikander and Jahangir, residents of North Karachi Sector 11-D who were taken into custody from Cantt, Abrar and Ali Mehdi, residents of Jaffer Tayyar Society, Rafat Abbas alias Mesum and Komail, residents of FB Area.
Their families claimed that the agencies raided Shia-dominated areas, such as Malir Jaffer Tayyar Society, North Karachi, Federal B Area, Cantt Station and Orangi Town, after the Ashura attack.
Some men, who did not prove their identity, came and took away people without any charges. The families were not even informed. “We don’t even know which agency took away my children and where they kept them,” said a worried parent.
Maulana Yousuf said the government and the law-enforcement agencies should take action against these elements that are targeting Shias through bomb blasts and target killings.
“Various doctors, engineers and other intellectuals of the community are being targeted in sectarian killings and the law-enforcement agencies are also arresting our people,” he said.
He believed that the authorities were hesitant to take action against the culprits behind the Ashura and Chehlum blasts.
“The agencies also threatened the families that they will kill the detained men in an encounter if they raise their voices,” he claimed.
Later, the family members also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan, the president, prime minister and Sindh home minister to find the missing men.
The following men went missing:
Husnain Abbas
Tanveer Abbas
Mazher Abbas
Pervez Zaidi
Sikander
Jahangir
Abrar
Ali Mehdi
Rafat Abbas alias Mesum
Komail
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2010.
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