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IDHAE
INFORMATION
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IDHAE has been informed by the Asian
Human Rights Commission (AHRC) of the serious medical condition of a
prominent human rights lawyer, Mr. Syed Hassan Tariq. He was brutally
tortured by the police upon instructions allegedly by the provincial chief
minister in Nawabshah, Sindh Province after he was arrested on 8 November
2007. Mr. Tariq is one of the thousands of lawyers arrested and detained
following the imposition of the state of emergency. He suffered internal
bleeding to his lungs and his two ribs were fractured. He also had huge
torture marks on his back. His physician said that his condition was so
severe that he may have less chances of surviving. On November 12, Mr. Syed Hassan Tariq, a
prominent human rights lawyer and member of executive committee of district
bar association in Nawabshah, Sindh Province, was taken to the National
Medical College and Hospital in Nawabshah. When the physicians examined him
he was diagnosed to have internal bleeding to his lungs, his two ribs were
fractured and had huge torture marks to his back. The physicians immediately
had him admitted in their hospital for treatment but the police, including
Police officer Mr. Kharal, instead refused pressuring them that he should not
be admitted. At the time, the physicians had no idea who the victim was. The physicians who examined Mr. Tariq
nevertheless refused to turn him over back to the policemen. After the police
realised how serious Mr. Tariq's medical condition was, they went away and
abandoned him at the hospital. The hospital authorities then informed the
journalists that man in serious condition had been taken to their hospital by
the police. When the journalists came, only then they have been to recognize
that it was Mr. Tariq, a prominent human rights
lawyer in the area. The news over his arrest and subsequent brutal torture
spread all over the city. After the people learn about the incident they came
out and held demonstrations against the police. When Mr. Tariq gained consciousness, he told some
journalist interviewing him that he was repeatedly severely beaten with hard
object. They also punched and kicked him in different parts of his body. He
also said that the police tied and hoisted him up and down. He told his
family about how he was ridiculed by the police while they were torturing him
telling him that he should seek help from the Chief Justice Choudhry. Instead of taking action into the victim's
serious allegation, Mr. Ghulam Sarwer Jamali, the district police officer
(DPO), defended his police officers. He denied that neither his policemen
tortured Mr. Tariq nor they had any thing to do with his arrest. Mr. Jamali
is the most senior police officer in the said district. The medical findings
however showed that the victim's injuries were caused by beatings and
torture. The physician would be performing medical operations to remove the
blood clot in his lungs but they fear he may have less chance of surviving. Mr. Syed Tariq had been deeply involved in
helping victims of custodial torture, human rights violations and honor
killings. He was also an activist for the Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan, whose head Ms. Asma Jahangir is also presently placed under
house arrest. The district police are said to be very critical of him because
of the nature of his work and the nature of cases he was handling. On 8 November 2007, Syed Tariq was
arrested by the police during a demonstration against the state of emergency.
He was one of protestors against the arrest of lawyers and placing of Supreme
Court justices, including Chief Justice Iftekhar Choudhry, and justices of
district high courts under house arrest. The police took him to an unknown
place following his arrest where he was kept overnight. It was Police officer Mr. Ghulam Nabi Kharal,
Station House Officer (SHO) of A Section police station in Nawabshah, who had
severely tortured him overnight. While torturing him, he had ridiculed him
that he should seek help from Chief Justice Choudhry. The SHO pressured him
that he should chant slogans in favour of General Musharraf and his
government, but Mr. Tariq refused to obey his demands. The police officers
had allegedly been instructed by Dr. Arbab Rahim, provincial chief minister
of Sindh, to torture Mr. Tariq. The following day, Mr. Tariq was taken to the A
Section police station from the unknown place where the police brutally
tortured him. At that time, his injuries were already serious but no one knew
about his condition inside the police custody. Mr. Tariq was detained at the
said police station until November 12. ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS: Forty-six court justices, including Chief Justice
Choudhry, remains under house arrest. The lawyers are arrested for
demonstrating against the imposition of the emergency. The justices, on the
other hand, are pressured to pledge allegiance with military president Pervez
Musharraf by signing the Provincial Constitution Order (PCO) he had proposed
otherwise remains under house arrest. Some of the justices have signed while the others
remained defiant. The latter are those being systematically denied of their
fundamental rights. Some of them are not even allowed to purchase medicines
for their regular medications, seek treatment for their sick children and
were prevented from doing their routine exercise for their illnesses. Also, although thousands of lawyers have already
been arrested, information regarding the present condition of each lawyer
could hardly be obtained. And even those lawyers whose places of detention are
ascertained, their relatives are not allowed visits; thereby making it
impossible to ensure they are properly treated inside the jails. The arrested
lawyers, some of them are undergoing regular medications, were also either
prevented from taking their medicines or they are not given any medicines at
all. They too were systematically deprived of any due process and legal
representation since their arrest. The case of Mr. Tariq illustrates the greats risk
the other lawyers and other persons whom the security forces have arrested
and detained in connection with the emergency rule. Given the Pakistani
police and military's records of systematic and routine use of torture, this
present condition aggravates the lack of remedies for victims of torture and
those who are facing serious risks of torture in custody of the security
forces. To support this appeal, please send this letter: [Your name here] Dear_______________, I am shocked to learn about the brutal torture of Mr. Syed Hassan Tariq,, a prominent human
rights lawyer and member of executive committee of district bar association
in Nawabshah, Sindh Province, following his arrest on November 8. Mr.
Tariq was arrested from a crowd of protesters who are demonstrating against
the imposition of state of emergency. Following his arrest, instead of taking
him directly to a police station, the police took him to an unknown location
where he was brutally beaten and tortured. I have learn that it was Police officer Mr. Ghulam Nabi
Kharal, station house officer (SHO) of A Section police station in Nawabshah
who had tortured Mr. Tariq upon instructions by the chief provincial minister
of Sindh, Dr. Arbab Rahim. Mr. Tariq was repeatedly beaten with hard objects,
punched and kicked in different parts of his body. They also tied and hoisted
him and pulled down. He was also ridiculed by the police while he was being
tortured telling him that he should seek the help from the chief justice of
Pakistan. When they took him to the police station later, he was
already seriously ill and no one was aware of his condition, or that he was
being detained at the A Section of the police station. Only on November 12
did the policemen taken him to the National Medical College and Hospital in
Nawabshah for treatment. Mr. Tariq was never afforded any treatment and his
family was not properly informed of his condition while in police custody.
Despite the severity of the injuries he had suffered, the police refused to
have him admitted at the hospital for treatment. Had the physicians not
insisted of not refusing to turn him over back to them, he would not have
been treated for the injuries he suffered. Medical examinations on him revealed that he has suffered
internal bleeding to his lungs, he had two fractured ribs, and a huge torture mark to his neck apparently due to
beatings. The physicians' findings also disclose that his injuries were
caused by severe beatings using hard objects. Although he has already been
admitted at the hospital, I am gravely concerned of information that he may
have little chances of surviving due the severity of his injuries. The
hospital would perform medical operation to remove the blood clot in his
lungs. I urge you to exhaust all means to ensure that he is given
adequate medical attention in order to improve his chances of recovery. Also
take immediate action against those responsible in arresting, detaining and
torturing the victim. The police officer and the provincial minister must
answer the allegations against them. They must be held to account once it is
proven that they are responsible in torturing the victim. Furthermore, please also ensure that each lawyer and person
who are arrested in connection with the imposition of state of emergency are
all accounted for and that their present condition is ascertain. This will
ensure that those facing serious risks of torture and maltreatment are
prevented from becoming victims of torture while in custody of security
forces. The families of those in detention must be allowed access to visit
them and provide necessary assistance. The detainees, particularly those
ailing and those needing regular medications must be properly taken cared of.
I once again urge you to ensure the immediate
release of lawyers, judges and persons arrested in connection with the
imposition of the state of emergency. I am deeply concerned by the worsening crisis and the lack
of remedies for people who are arrested and detained there. It is shocking
that the fundamental and non-derogable rights, particularly freedom from
torture, are routinely and systematically violated on the pretext of the
emergency rule. The government, as a member state of the United Nations and
state party to Conventions governing protection of human rights, is obligated
to observe respect to the international human rights laws regardless of its
condition, in particular regarding the treatment of prisoners and the
independence of lawyers and judges. It is extremely disappointing that lawyers are
systematically attack, arrested, detained and brutally tortured by security
forces while exercising freedom expression and assembly. The lack of remedies
for these persons is extremely appalling. It is therefore necessary for you
to take adequate action to protect the lives and ensure safety of these
people. I trust that your action in this serious matter is
forthcoming. Yours sincerely, PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: 1. General Pervez Musharraf 2. Mr. Afzal Haider 3. Lieutenant General Hamid Nawaz 4. Chief Justice of Sindh High Court 5. Dr. Ishrat UL Ibad 6. Dr. Arbab Abdul Rahim 7. Chief Secretary 8. Secretary 9. Dr. Faqir Hussain 10. Prof. Manfred Nowak 11. Mr. Leandro Despouy 12. Ms. Hina Jilani Thank you.
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