Pakistan
26.03.03
Urgent Interventions
Pakistan : forced disappearance of M. Akhtar Baloch
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
PAK 001 / 0303 / OBS 015
Forced disappearance
Pakistan
26th March 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan (HRCP) of the forced disappearance of M. Akhtar Baloch,
coordinator of the Hyderabad office of HRCP on 23rd March 2003.
According to the information received, on 23rd March, M. Baloch left
the annual meeting of HRCP in Hyderabad with a colleague who was
driving him home. At around 7 pm., their car was forced to stop by
two armed men who were driving a motorcycle. Then a car arrived with
three other armed men who threatened the driver and asked him to
leave. M. Baloch was forced into a car that drove to an unknown
destination.
According to the former chairperson of HRCP and Special Rapporteur of
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, Ms. Asma Jahangir, this act could be
a message to intimidate the HRCP for its criticism of State practices
and denunciation of human rights violations by the government of
Pakistan. HRCP had published its annual report in early March.
Despite several enquiries with official agents, HRCP has not received
an answer as to the wherabouts of M. Baloch. The Observatory is
extremely concerned by the physical and psychological integrity of M.
Baloch and reminds the State that according to article 12.2 of the
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General
Assembly on 9 December 1998 "the State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually or in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration.".
Action requested:
i. take all measures to find the whereabouts of M. Akhtar Baloch,
release him and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. identify and sanction those responsible for his disappearance;
iii. Conform to the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights
Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that
"everyone has the right, individually or in association with others,
to promote the protection and realization of human rights and
fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels";
article 12.2 which provides that "the State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually or in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration."; and article 6b mentioned above;
iv. more generally, conform to the provisions of the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights and international instruments relating to
Human Rights which bind Pakistan;
Addresses:
President Pervez Musharraf
President's House, Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax : 92 51 9201051
E-mail: ce@pak.gov.pk
Minister of Interior
Fax: 92 51 9202624
Inspector General of Police
Syed Kamal Shah
Fax: 92 21 9212051
Email: igp@sindhpolice.gov.pk
Paris - Geneva, 26th March 2003
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the
code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch
PAK 001 / 0303 / OBS 015
Forced disappearance
Pakistan
26th March 2003
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
program of FIDH and OMCT, requests your URGENT intervention in the
following situation in Pakistan.
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan (HRCP) of the forced disappearance of M. Akhtar Baloch,
coordinator of the Hyderabad office of HRCP on 23rd March 2003.
According to the information received, on 23rd March, M. Baloch left
the annual meeting of HRCP in Hyderabad with a colleague who was
driving him home. At around 7 pm., their car was forced to stop by
two armed men who were driving a motorcycle. Then a car arrived with
three other armed men who threatened the driver and asked him to
leave. M. Baloch was forced into a car that drove to an unknown
destination.
According to the former chairperson of HRCP and Special Rapporteur of
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, Ms. Asma Jahangir, this act could be
a message to intimidate the HRCP for its criticism of State practices
and denunciation of human rights violations by the government of
Pakistan. HRCP had published its annual report in early March.
Despite several enquiries with official agents, HRCP has not received
an answer as to the wherabouts of M. Baloch. The Observatory is
extremely concerned by the physical and psychological integrity of M.
Baloch and reminds the State that according to article 12.2 of the
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN General
Assembly on 9 December 1998 "the State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually or in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration.".
Action requested:
i. take all measures to find the whereabouts of M. Akhtar Baloch,
release him and guarantee his physical and psychological integrity;
ii. identify and sanction those responsible for his disappearance;
iii. Conform to the provisions of the Declaration on Humans Rights
Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on
December 9, 1998, in particular article 1, which states that
"everyone has the right, individually or in association with others,
to promote the protection and realization of human rights and
fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels";
article 12.2 which provides that "the State shall take all necessary
measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of
everyone, individually or in association with others, against any
violence, threats, retaliation, de facto o de jure adverse
discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a
consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred
to in the present Declaration."; and article 6b mentioned above;
iv. more generally, conform to the provisions of the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights and international instruments relating to
Human Rights which bind Pakistan;
Addresses:
President Pervez Musharraf
President's House, Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax : 92 51 9201051
E-mail: ce@pak.gov.pk
Minister of Interior
Fax: 92 51 9202624
Inspector General of Police
Syed Kamal Shah
Fax: 92 21 9212051
Email: igp@sindhpolice.gov.pk
Paris - Geneva, 26th March 2003
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the
code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the
protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete
support in their time of need.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29
E-mail : observatoire@iprolink.ch