Persecution of minorities in pakistan

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Shia doctor gunned down near Railway Colony​

KARACHI: Another doctor belonging to the Shia sect was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified gunmen near the Railway Colony. Frere police said the deceased Hassan Hyder, 33, son of Kausar was a resident of Bilal Apartments, adding he was shot as he returning home from his clinic. The police said the victim used to work at the National Medical College. Allama Abbas Komaili condemned the targeted killings of Shias and said the government should take notice of the killings of Shia doctors.

MQM activist killed: An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was shot dead near the Khaji ground in Waheedabad within Rizvia police precincts on Thursday. Amir Ahmed, 23, son of Mobin was sitting outside his house where armed men sprayed him with bullets and managed to flee.

Mishap: A man was knocked to death by a metro passenger coach while crossing the road near the Abbot Laboratory in Quaidabad police precincts. Police said the deceased Gul Adar Khan was a resident of Kohat Colony, Quaidabad and a labourer by profession. staff report

 

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Nine injured in Karachi sectarian clash​

KARACHI: At least nine people were injured in a clash in Sector 19 of Karachi's Awami Colony late on Monday. Calling the incident sectarian violence, Station House Officer Zawar Hussain said the clash was a reaction to Sunday's incident in which a man, Noor Ahmed, was injured at Singer Chowrangi. According to details, various religious sects engaged in protests and sloganeering after Sunday's incident, which turned violent on Monday when a roadside pan shop outside an imambargah was torched in Awami Colony. The injured were identified as Ali Asghar, Nasir Haider, Zakir Muhammad Ali, Mumtaz Gulzar, Ghulam Ahmed Murtaza, Sahib Rehman, Arif Khuda Bux, Shakeel Qambar, and Zubair Khan. They were moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where doctors said the condition of four of the injured was critical. Following the clash, contingents of police and Rangers arrived in the area and cordoned off the crime scene. staff report

 

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Shia man killed in sectarian clash​

Staff Report

KARACHI: A Shia man was killed and some wounded in a clash between two rival sects at Islam Chowk in Orangi Town on Friday.

The clash took place between activists of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), formerly the banned outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, and a Shia group.

ASJW Information Secretary Ehsanullah Farooqui told Daily Times that their activists were returning to their homes on a bus after participating in the Shuhuda-e-Islam Conference held at Siddiq-e-Akbar Masjid near Nagan Chowrangi, when some men came out from a nearby imambargah and opened fire at them. "The culprits also torched the bus," he said.

"They also took two of our men away with them and now we are trying to find out whether the abducted men are alive or not."

The body of the murdered Shia man, identified as Shehzad alias Sajju, 25, son of Riaz, was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Sources in the area told Daily Times that the incident took place when the participants of the Shuhuda-e-Islam Conference stopped the bus near the imambargah, and started chanting slogans against the rival sect. After a verbal spar, both sides opened fire at each other.

"If anyone claims that the ASWJ activists were chanting slogans against the rival sect, the latter should inform police and register a complaint against them, but this didn't give them the right to open fire at them," said Farooqui.

 

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Ahmedi stabbed to death in Narowal​

LAHORE: An Ahmedi man was stabbed to death in Narowal on Monday, just days after gun, grenade and suicide attacks on the minority group killed more than 80 people, police said.

"In the morning, a man identified as Abid Butt climbed the wall of the house of a local Ahmedi family and stabbed Naimat Ullah, 55, and his son Mansoor Ahmed," local police station chief Riaz Sangha said.

Naimat died of knife wounds and his son was rushed to a hospital, he added.

The attacker escaped, the officer said. Sangha quoted residents as saying that the assailant threatened to not leave any Ahmedi alive.

Salimudin, a spokesman for Lahore's Ahmedi community strongly condemned what he called a "targeted killing". afp

 

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"Patterns of Persecution" - The Friday Times(subscription)
The attacks on two places of worship in Lahore are not isolated incidents of violence against the Ahmadi community. For some time now, members of the Ahmadi community have been considered fair game by extremist elements that thrive on hate speech. Ahmadis have been victims of abuse under blasphemy laws, targeted killings, and other forms of violence and discrimination since the introduction of anti-Ahmadi laws by the Zia-ul Haq regime in 1984.

Friday's attacks are shocking not only because of the high number of casualties, but also because they expose the state's inability to perform its primary duty; protecting the right to life of its people. While that duty extends to protecting the lives of everyone in the country, Ahmadis deserve specific protection measures on account of being the most vulnerable community in Pakistan.

Since the April 1984 anti-Ahmadi legislation, 106 Ahmadis have been murdered, on account of their religious beliefs prior to the bloodshed of May 28, 2010. This figure also includes 18 Ahmadi doctors. The number of people convicted for those killings is in single digits. 47 Ahmadis were killed on account of their beliefs during the 1999-2007 regime of General Pervez Musharraf.

On 19th of May 2010, an Ahmadi was shot dead in Karachi. In April 2010, three others were murdered in Faisalabad. Another Ahmadi was murdered in Narowal on May 31, 2010.

In January 2009, five Ahmadis, including four children, were charged with blasphemy under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in a village of Layyah district in Punjab. Only timely police intervention foiled an attempt by members of a banned organisation to torch the houses of the Ahmadis in the village. A fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) found that the five Ahmadis were detained without any proof or witnesses. A prayer leader in the village had allowed Ahmadi students from a nearby tuition centre to offer prayers in his mosque. The students were later threatened by a government school teacher and never went to the mosque again. Around 10 days later, some villagers claimed finding blasphemous writings in the mosque's toilet. In the First Information Report, the complainant stated: "Since these Ahmadis are the only non-Muslims coming to the mosque, therefore they must have committed the offence." The local police officer also argued: "A Muslim cannot even think of doing something so derogatory. The Ahmadis were the only non-Muslims visiting the mosque. Therefore, it has to be their work." The accused were released on bail after six months and were subsequently acquitted in April 2010.

In July last year, activists of Sunni Tehreek, blocked the main Sheikhupura highway in Faisalabad district to pressurise police to register a case against 32 Ahmadis, of village 194-RB, on the charge of writing Quranic verses on the outer walls of their houses. They ended the protest after assurances that a case would be registered. Police subsequently registered a case under sections 295-A and 295-C of the PPC.

In June 2009, rioters attacked and desecrated an Ahmadi graveyard in Pir Mahal, Toba Tek Singh district. The authorities subsequently cancelled the allotment order for the land given to Ahmadis 20 years earlier.

As many as six Ahmadis were murdered because of their faith and over 100 booked under blasphemy and anti-Ahmadi laws in 2008. Those booked included Ahmadi children as young as 8, for being on the mailing list of an Ahmadi children's magazine.

In the most alarming example of hate speech, an anchorperson of a popular Urdu TV channel talked about the 1974 amendment to the Constitution, which declared Ahmadis non-Muslim, in a prime time discussion on September 7, 2008. The show ended with the anchor declaring the Ahmadis Wajibul Qatl (liable to be killed) because they do not believe in the finality of prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). On the following day, September 8, an Ahmadi doctor, Abdul Mannan Siddiqui, was shot dead in Mirpur Khas, Sindh. On September 9, another Ahmadi, Seth Muhammad Yousuf, was assassinated in Nawabshah district of Sindh. No action was taken against the TV channel or the anchorperson.

In early June, a mob of 300 college students beat up Ahmadi students at the Punjab Medical College in Faisalabad, and ransacked their hostel quarters. The medical college rusticated 23 Ahmadi students on the report of a disciplinary committee. It was alleged that they were preaching and distributing Ahmadi literature. The students suffered harassment and interruption in their studies for several months before being allowed to resume their education.

Social boycott, ostracism and hate campaigns against the Ahmadi community through wall-chalking, posters, stickers and pamphlets have frequently been reported in villages and major cities.

Unfortunately, all evidence points to more attacks targeting Ahmadis in the future. The Ahmadi worship place in Model Town had received repeated threats from extremists throughout 2009. HRCP had asked the Punjab government to ensure security for the Ahmadi community centre in Model Town.

Year  Murdered on account of religious beliefs  Booked under blasphemy law    Booked under Ahmadi-specific law's 

2007                     5                                              22                             24



2008                    6                                               30                             76

2009                   11                                               37                             57

2010(to date)          91, including 85 killed in two terrorist attacks on May 28

Attacks on May 28 demonstrate that even advance warnings may not be effective in ensuring the safety of the targets because terrorists can afford to bide their time. Security measures alone cannot address the threats faced on account of religious beliefs by Ahmadi and other communities. Progress in addressing that threat is unlikely unless the State confronts the growing intolerance and extremism in the country.

 

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Pakistan's mosques, media and intolerance​

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been fighting militants for years, but tough measures are needed to overturn a system breeding religious intolerance after the long failure of authorities to confront mullahs and hardline groups.

Analysts say the notion of religious mistrust is deeply entrenched in the predominatly Muslim country - even in the school system - and it is now up to leaders to mobilise public.

Last week's massacre in the city of Lahore of more than 80 Ahmadis has generated a heated debate in Pakistan, a US ally, on how to tackle the issue.

In a sign of how hatred is propagated, The News newspaper said one of the two surviving gunmen caught by security forces said he had been persuaded that Ahmadis were "blaspheming" Islam.

Identified as Abdullah, he told investigators that his mentors had him believe that Ahmadis were drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) during a recent online contest and "so their bloodshed was a great service to Islam", the newspaper said.

That raised alarm bells in a country combatting militancy.

"The nagging feeling that the government has already lost the battle against extremism has now acquired the force of conviction," Zafar Hilaly, a former ambassador, wrote in The News last week.

ISLAMIC SEMINARIES

The government also vowed to reform tens of thousands of Islamic seminaries, known as madrassas, many of which are considered as breeding grounds for militancy.

Almost none of these measures, however, has been implemented.

Most outlawed groups have re-emerged under new names. Radical clerics still deliver fiery speeches against sects.

The US Embassy acknowledged the difficulties, given the importance placed on Pakistan helping Washington battle al Qaeda and its extremist allies.

"We recognise this is a problem," an embassy official said, adding that the embassy encouraged Pakistanis to take part in exchange programmes to see a multi-faith United States.

Analysts say Pakistani leaders dating back to the 1970s, however popular, took no action to counter radicals.

Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political and security analyst said governments have lacked the stomach to implement reforms, particularly in school curricula.

"In textbooks used in government schools, Pakistan is equated with Muslims...They teach Pakistan is a country only for Muslims. They don't teach that non-Muslims also live here," he said.

Journalist and analyst Ahmed Rashid described school programmes as "the most sensitive issue. But it is an issue in which any attempt to change the curriculum would have a whole host of fundamentalist groups oppose you."

In 1974, Pakistan's first popularly elected Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, bowed to Islamic groups and won approval of a constitutional amendment declaring Ahmadis as non-Muslims.

He also switched the weekly day off from Sunday to Friday.

But much of the upsurge in militancy occurred in the late 1970s and 1980s during the "Islamisation drive" by late military leader General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq and Pakistan's support for the US-baked Afghan jihad or holy war against the Soviet invasion which saw a rapid growth of radical groups and madrasas.

Haq introduced several laws, such as the notorious blasphemy law, which are deemed discriminatory against non-Muslim minorities and fuelled tensions between different Muslim sects.

Subsequent governments did nothing to reverse the laws.

Military dictators, who ruled Pakistan for more than half of its existence, have also used militant groups to further policy objectives in Afghanistan and India and marginalise liberals.

"In earlier years, in order to pursue its foreign policy using the instrument of jihad, the state actively sought to create a religiously charged citizenry," said Pervez Hoodbhoy, a physicist and analyst.

"But, now that the Pakistani military and political establishments have become a victim of extremism, they are foundering in confusion."

Former President Pervez Musharraf, a military ruler, though he espoused a modern and liberal version of Islam, repeatedly failed to get the laws reviewed while in office from 1999-2008.

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a pro-West politician and a vocal opponent of the militants, was killed in December 2007 in a suicide attack blamed on militants linked to al Qaeda.

Civilian leaders are made even more cautious now in tackling radical groups by the tremendous fear of militants who have unleashed bomb and suicide attacks across the country.

"Religious intolerance is getting worse in Pakistan because the political leadership lacks the will to fight this," said analyst Rizvi. "They don't want to face the wrath of mullahs." – Reuters

 

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Hindu trader killed, son kidnapped in Quetta​

QUETTA: A Hindu businessman was shot dead and his son kidnapped by some men in Satellite town area on Tuesday.

Police sources said that four gunmen wearing uniform of a paramilitary force intercepted Ramesh Kumar and his son Rajesh Kumar who were passing through the Satellite town in their car.

The gunmen tried to kidnap both of them but on resistance opened fire, killing Ramesh Kumar on the spot. Later, they kidnapped Rajesh Kumar.

Police took the body of Mr Kumar to civil hospital.

After the incident, a large number of people belonging to the Hindu community gathered in front of the hospital. They burnt tyres and blocked Jinnah Road by putting up barricades.

They also chanted slogans against the government and police and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

 

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Muslims Order Christians to Leave Village in Pakistan​

Christians drew wrath by objecting to sexual assaults on girls and women.
KHANEWAL, Pakistan, June 7 (CDN) — The head of a Muslim village last week ordered 250 Christian families to leave their homes in Khanewal district, Punjab Province, local residents said.Abdul Sattar Khan, head of village No. 123/10R, Katcha Khoh, and other area Muslim residents ordered the expulsions after Christian residents objected too strenuously to sexual assaults by Muslims on Christian girls and women, said a locally elected Christian official, Emmanuel Masih.

Most of the village's Christian men work in the fields of Muslim land owners, while most of the Christian women and girls work as servants in the homes of Muslim families, said Rasheed Masih, a Christian in the village who added that the impoverished Christians were living in appalling conditions.

The Muslim employers have used their positions of power to routinely sexually assault the Christian women and girls, whose complaints grew so shrill that four Christian men – Emmanuel Masih, Rasheed Masih, his younger brother Shehzad Anjum and Yousaf Masih Khokhar – sternly confronted the Muslims, only to be told that all Christians were to leave the village at once.

"The Muslim villagers came to us with the expulsion order only after Christian women and girls raised a hue and cry when they became totally exasperated because they were sexually attacked or forced to commit adultery by Muslims on a daily basis," said Khokhar, a Christian political leader.

Khokhar said the unanimous decision to compel the Christians to leave their homes and relocate them was possible because the Christians were completely subject to the Muslims' power.

"The Muslims had been telling the Christian women and girls that if they denied them sex, they would kick them out of their native village," Emmanuel Masih added.

Christians created the colony when they began settling in the area in about 1950, said Anjum. Since then the migration of Muslims to the area has left the Christians a minority among the 6,000 residents of the village, said Emmanuel Masih.

"There is no church building or any worship place for Christians, and neither is there any burial place for Christians," Emmanuel Masih said.

He said that the Rev. Pervez Qaiser of village No. 231, the Rev. Frank Masih of village No. 133 and the Rev. Sharif Masih of village No. 36, Mian Channu, have been visiting the village on Sundays to lead services at the houses of the Christian villagers, who open their homes by turns.

Asked why they didn't contact local Katcha Khoh police for help, Emmanuel Masih and Khokhar said that filing a complaint against Muslim village head Khan and other Muslims would only result in police registering false charges against them under Pakistan's notorious "blasphemy" statutes.

"They might arrest us," Khokhar said, "and the situation would be worse for the Christian villagers who are already living a deplorably pathetic life under the shadow of fear and death, as they [the Muslims] would not be in police lock-up or would be out on bail, due to their riches and influence, very soon."

Couples Charged with 'Blasphemy'
That very fate befell two Christian couples in Gulshan-e-Iqbal town, Karachi, who had approached police with complaints against Muslims for falsely accusing them of blasphemy.

On May 28, a judge directed Peer Ilahi Bakhsh (PIB) police to file charges of desecrating the Quran against Atiq Joseph and Qaiser William after a mob of armed Islamists went through their home's garbage looking for pages of the Islamic scripture among clean-up debris (see "Pakistani Islamists Keep Two Newlywed Couples from Home," May 27).

Additional District & Sessions Judge Karachi East (Sharqi) Judge Sadiq Hussein directed the PIB police station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal to file a case against Joseph and William, newlyweds who along with their wives had shared a rented home and are now in hiding. The judge acted on the application of Muslim Munir Ahmed.

Saleem Khurshid Khokhar, a Christian provincial legislator in Sindh, and Khalid Gill, head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance in Punjab, said that police were threatening and harassing relatives and close friends of Joseph and William to reveal their whereabouts.

Islamists armed with pistols and rifles had waited for the two Christian couples to return to their rented home on May 21, seeking to kill them after the couples complained to police that the radical Muslims had falsely accused them of desecrating the Quran.

The blasphemy laws include Section 295-A for injuring religious feelings, 295-B for defiling the Quran and 295-C for blaspheming Muhammad, the prophet of Islam – all of which have often been misused by fanatical Muslims to settle personal scores against Christians.

Maximum punishment for violation of Section 295-A, as well as for Section 295-B (defiling the Quran), is life imprisonment; for violating Section 295-C the maximum punishment is death, though life imprisonment is also possible.

In village 123/10R in Khanewal district, Anjum noted that it is only 22 kilometers (14 miles) from Shanti Nagar, where Muslims launched an attack on Christians in 1997 that burned hundreds of homes and 13 church buildings.

Yousaf Masih added, "Muslim villagers have made the life a hell for Christians at village 123/10R."

 

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Hindus demand inquiry into attack on temple in Mithi​

By Samia Saleem
June 10, 2010


Pakistan Hindu Council condemns Sunday�s assault
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KARACHI: Not satisfied by the arrest of man said to be involved in the on a Hindu temple in Mithi on Sunday, the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) wants a proper inquiry as they believe that "religious attacks have significantly increased in the past".

Members of the council called a press conference on Wednesday to protest the attack on the Nainu Ram Ashram Temple in Mithi, Tharparkar, and other similar attacks against Hindus recently.

Patron of PHC Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani accused a man named Foto Bageer of the attack. "He entered the temple to drink water but started breaking and destroying religious material, statues and photos," Vankwani told The Express Tribune.

Dr Vankwani believes that a proper inquiry into the matter should be conducted as "this is an act of blasphemy that harmed our religious sanctity". The Hindu community demands an inquiry by the government, he said.

After the attack, Hindu businessmen closed their shops and markets in protest, affecting the entire population of the area, said President PHC Raja Assermal Manglani.

"There is no religious friction between Muslims and Hindus," he insisted, adding that such attacks are part of a conspiracy to spread hatred between the two communities.

He further added such attacks have increased and Hindus are being forced to convert to Islam, kidnapped for ransom or abducted under the garb of blasphemy.

The Tharparkar region is a Hindu majority area, where they make up 55 per cent of the region's population of 0.6 million. The Hindus here have lived in peace with the Muslims up till now; but they now fear further attacks on their faith.

The Nainu Ram Ashram, located in the desert part of Tharparkar, is one of the biggest Hindu temples in Pakistan. "The annual mela at the temple attracts over 50,000 people of which 50 per cent are Muslims," said Vankhvani.

Narrating another similar attack, Vankwani said that a Hindu man and his son were kidnapped and killed in Quetta three months ago. Four men also 250 Hindu women at one of their religious gathering in Kandhkot and several women were forcibly converted to Islam in Sukkur, he said.

"Almost 70 per cent of the Hindu population has been through such attacks one way or the other," he added.

The Hindus are not just being targeted personally but their religion is also being marginalised as their temples have either been taken over by the government or residents living near the temples, complained Vankwani. There are hardly 10 or 11 Hindu places of worship left in Karachi.

The Hindu community managed to get permission to renovate the 1,000-year-old Shri Varun Dev Mandir at Manora Island during the time of the previous government. "Even now we do not have complete ownership of the temple and the Navy authorities have asked us to pay Rs0.6 million before starting construction," he said.

Vankwani stressed that, for Hindus, the main issue is security. "We have no cooperation or cover from law and order agencies," he said. Despite its historically zero crime rate, cases of attacks and violence have gradually increased in Tharparkar and the police have no control over them.

Dr Amarnath Motumal, an advocate and council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told The Express Tribune that cases of forced conversions in Sindh are increasing by the day.

The victims never come out to complain so there is a shortage of concrete facts and data but proof can be obtained by viewing the list of new conversions to Islam specifically in interior Sindh where the phenomenon is rampant, he suggested.

 

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Amnesty International blasts Pakistan's human rights situation​

LONDON: Millions of Pakistanis in the country's northwest tribal areas live in a 'human rights-free zone' where they have no legal protection from the government and are subjected to abuses by the Taliban, the Amnesty International has said.

In a report titled 'As if Hell Fell on Me: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan', the London-based rights organisation urged the Pakistan government and Taliban to comply with international humanitarian law.

"Nearly four million people are currently living under the Taliban in Pakistan in northwest Pakistan without rule of law and effectively abandoned by the Pakistani government," Amnesty International's interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone said.

"There are still more than one million people who were displaced from their homes in Pakistan's northwest tribal belt by the conflict with the Taliban (and) whose plight is largely ignored and who are in desperate need of aid."

According to Amnesty, at least 1,300 civilians were killed in the fighting in northwest Pakistan in 2009.

A teacher who fled Swat with family in March 2009 was quoted as saying: "The government just gave away our lives to the Taliban. What's the point of having this huge army if it can't even protect us against a group of brutal fanatics? They took over my school and started to teach children about how to fight in Afghanistan.

"They kicked out the girls from school, told the men to grow their beards, threatened anybody they didn't like. Our government and our military never tried to protect us from this."

Cordone said that for years, the tribal areas have been treated as a stage for geopolitical rivalries and are currently in focus because of the conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan and the search for al-Qaeda militants, rather than the rights of the people living there.

"The Pakistani government should not just respond using military force; it needs to provide and protect the basic rights of its citizens living there."

"The Pakistani government has to follow through on its promises to bring the region out of this human rights black hole and place the people of FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) under the protection of the law and constitution of Pakistan," Cordone said.

There is no quick-fix solution for decades of "misrule" and the conflict of the past few years, but the road to recovery starts with recognising the rights of the people of FATA, he said.

Amnesty said the US' use of drones to target insurgents in northwest Pakistan has generated considerable resentment inside the country.

It called on the US to clarify its chain of command and rules of engagement for the use of drones and ensure proper accountability for civilian casualties.

 

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Targeted killings turn into sectarian violence

1 more killed, death toll rises to 5 in 15 days

By Atif Raza

KARACHI: In the continuing wave of sectarian violence in the city, a Shia man was gunned down on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the police have failed to arrest the criminals involved in targeted killings.

As per details, 35-year-old Shahzad Raza Rizvi, son of Tahir, worked as salesman at a grocery shop near Bahadurabad Chowrangi in the limits of New Town police station.

SHO Tariq Imran confirming it a targeted killing said, the deceased, father of one, sustained two bullets in the head when he was ambushed by two unidentified motorcyclists near the Imtiaz Superstore.

His body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities, where doctors stated the victim was shot from a distance of less than 20 meters. The body was later handed over to his family.

Allama Abbas Komaili condemning the attack said at least five members of the community have been killed during the last 15 days. "¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦............


Daily Times

 

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Amnesty: Tribal Pakistan is a 'rights-free zone'
Thursday, 10 June 2010 13:02 UK



Refugee camps have long been a fixture in north-western Pakistan Millions of Pakistanis live in a "human rights-free zone" in the country's north-west, Amnesty International says. Residents of tribal areas face Taliban abuse and get no protection from the government, the rights group alleges.
In a report, it says the Taliban secured their rule by killing elders and torturing teachers and aid workers. A Pakistani foreign office spokesman rejected Amnesty's findings, saying his government was "fully committed" to improving human rights in tribal areas.
Displaced
"We are not denying that there are problems there," spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters in Islamabad, but he said the government was "sparing no effort" to ensure people's rights were protected.
The 130-page Amnesty report, As if Hell Fell on Me, was based on nearly 300 interviews with residents of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and the surrounding areas.
It says more than a million people have been displaced by fighting between the Pakistani military and the Taliban in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The report also says available information suggests that at least 1,300 people were killed in the conflict during 2009.
"Nearly four million people are effectively living under the Taliban in north-west Pakistan without rule of law and effectively abandoned by the Pakistani government," said Claudio Cordone, Amnesty's interim secretary general.
The report quotes a teacher, who fled the Swat valley with his family in March 2009, describing how the Taliban operated.
"[The Taliban] took over my school and started to teach children about how to fight in Afghanistan. They kicked out the girls from school, told the men to grow their beards, threatened anybody they didn't like."
The teacher said the government failed to protect them.
"What's the point of having this huge army if it can't even protect us against a group of brutal fanatics?"
Last year the Pakistani army declared the Swat valley to be free of militants after completing an anti-Taliban operation in and around Mingora, the main city in the valley.

Pakistani military spokesman Athar Abbas dismissed the report, describing it as "factually incorrect". He said that tribal elders supported the army's action to bring stability, particularly to the Swat region.
"Local journalists as well as foreign journalists who have been visiting Swat, talking to the people, the elders, the notables, the locals there, they have endorsed the contribution of the military in bringing normalcy and protecting the people," he told the BBC.

Amnesty has documented what many civilians in north-west Pakistan have often been scared to openly say, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad.
The report talks of systematic human rights abuses by the Taliban and accuses militants of increasing the likelihood of civilian casualties by dispersing themselves among civilians during clashes with government forces.
But it also accuses the Pakistani army of not doing enough to avoid civilian casualties in its operations against militants, and the government of neglecting the basic needs of the millions of people living in the frontier regions close to Afghanistan. Deal with that, Amnesty says, and many of the conditions that have led to the considerable unrest in these areas, would be removed. The group has appealed to both the Taliban and the Pakistani government to end human rights abuses in north-west Pakistan. It has also called on Islamabad to reform the Pakistani constitution, which excludes the Fata from the legal and parliamentary system of the country.

 

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'Sectarian killings' claim two more lives in Khi
By Imran Ayub
Sunday, 13 Jun, 2010

KARACHI: Two more people, including a young man associated with the medical profession, on Saturday fell prey to what are being described as sectarian killings in the city.

Peace remained a distant dream for Karachiites amid the authorities' claims that they would move against 'the miscreants with force and deliver results'.

The fresh targeted killings sparked scattered incidents of violence that included acts of arson in the strife-hit areas such as New Karachi and Ancholi. However, despite police claims about having traced the elements behind the fresh sectarian killings, no arrest has been made on this account. Early in the morning, the 34-year-old man was targeted in Nazimabad when he was coming out of the parking area of a private hospital. Naseer Hussain Jafri was associated with the private hospital where he reached for his routine work.

"It was around 8am when Mr Jafri parked his car and walked to enter the hospital," said Sub-Inspector Jehanzeb, the SHO of the Nazimabad police station. "Two men riding motorbikes came close to him. One of them pulled out a 9mm pistol and fired multiple shots at him. He received three bullets and died on the spot."

"It appears a targeted killing on sectarian grounds as we have not yet found facts that may suggest personal enmity as a motive," said SSP Abdul Hameed Khosa of Liaquatabad Town.

Information gathered by the investigators suggested that one of the attackers wore an off-white shalwar-kameez and the other a shirt and trousers. The latter's face was covered in a helmet.

Both attackers rode away after the shooting, leaving the young victim in a pool of blood. The victim's body was later taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

"The victim was married and lived in Surjani Town. He was a laboratory technician at the private hospital," said the Nazimabad police station SHO.

Almost an hour later, a young activist of the Sunni Tehreek was gunned down while he was standing with friends at a paan shop in New Karachi. The area police said 25-year-old Rizwan Qadri was among the at least six youngsters hanging out at a known paan shop in Sector 5-E of New Karachi.

"All of a sudden two men on a motorcycle emerged and one of them got off the motorbike holding a 9mm pistol," said Inspector Chaudhary Nazar, the SHO of the Bilal Colony police station. "Most youngsters, including the paan-shop owner, escaped the attack, though Rizwan and Ayaz sustained bullet wounds and were rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi."

Before reaching the hospital, Rizwan died. Adnan, having been hit by a single bullet in the abdomen, survived, said the Bilal Colony SHO.

As the news of the ST worker's death reached his residential area in Madina Colony in Sector 5-E of New Karachi, a law-and-order situation developed when unknown men resorted to uninterrupted firing into the air that forced the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters and transporters to stay off roads in the area.

Fear further gripped the localities of New Karachi, including Sindhi Hotel and Godhra Camp Colony, when two buses were set on fire in Madina Colony.

"We were informed of arson attacks on two buses of routes W-1 and W11 in New Karachi at 11am. The registration number of only W-1 bus could be ascertained as JE-5272 while the other one was damaged so badly that its number had become illegible," said an official at the central fire station.

Charged atmosphere was also witnessed on Shahrah-i-Pakistan for a fourth consecutive day where dozens of youngsters gathered and blocked the main road in protest against the killing of Naseer Hussain Jafri. Charged youths also pelted passing vehicles with stones.

The police blocked Shahrah-i-Pakistan from the Water Pump end to the Sohrab Goth end as 'a precautionary measure' to avert untoward incidents. Life and business activity in the adjoining blocks of Federal B Area remained suspended amid deployment of a heavy contingent of the police backed by the Rangers.

 

[ajtr]

Karachi target killings are mostly sectarian targeted against shia community by Pak army/ISI supported Sipah-e-Sahaba terror group which was also involved in resent bombings of Ahamadi mosques in lahore in which 100 people died......for mor information on karachi killings read this ...

"Kill a Shia doctor a day", a joint operation by the ISI and Sipah-e-Sahaba in Karachi​

Shia Muslims hold a banner through the streets of Karachi, condemning recent target killings. – Photo by Reuters; Source: Dawn
Killing of Shia doctors continues unabated in Karachi. There is ample evidence of the state's institutional involvement in crimes against Shias and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

Here is how it works:

1. Pakistan Army's intelligence agencies recruit mercenaries for their jihadi wings (proxy army) by fanning sectarian and faith based hatred against Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus etc.

2. Jihadi terrorists recruited and trained by the ISI, MI etc are allowed to pursue their sectarian agenda within Pakistan by target killing of Shias, Ahmadis, Christians etc. (Read Khalid Ahmed's excellent article on the Shia killings on Jahane Rumi)

3. In most cases, Pakistan Police are unable to arrest the culprits because terrorists' mentors and protectors in Pakistan Army pressurize the police to refrain from arresting their 'assets'.

4. In a few cases, when the terrorists are arrested and produced before a court of law, terrorists' mentors and protectors in Pakistan Army (ISI, MI etc) influence the police to refrain from submitting a substantial evidence. A similar pressure is exerted on judges in the court who are also sent anonymous letters threatening them with 'dire consequences' if the court failed to release the terrorists.

The end result is as follows: terrorists of Sipah-e-Sahaba have once again successfully launched their 'kill a Shia doctor a day' operation in Karachi.

ISI and Shia killings
Source: Jahane Rumi

Monthly Newsline (June 2001) actually wrote that the intelligence agencies were 'in' with the sectarian terrorists: 'The official quoted above has no hesitation in accusing the ISI of orchestrating such (Shia) murders through the militants of sectarian parties, adding that Sipah Sahaba terrorists are trained by the agency. The Sipah Sahaba are supported by the MQM Haqiqi Group. Sources reveal that Sipah Sahaba's (sic!) Riaz Basra has been spotted in the company of a colonel who has also given him shelter in his house. Similarly, when three members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi were picked up by the police, another colonel, who identified himself as their PRO, requested that they be released forthwith'. It should be noted that Riaz Basra has been described by the magazine as a Sipah activist! Karachi has killed 450 people in cases of sectarian violence since General Musharraf took over the government in October 1999. Lately the killing is one-sided because the Sunni-Deobandi combine is simply too strong to be countered by the Shia organisations.

It is not Sunni-Shia sectarianism

According to Sarah Khan, writing in the Pakistan Press group, a network of Pakistani journalists:

It is painful to see that some media outlets are portraying the current events in Karachi as a sectarian confrontation between Sunnis and Shias or between Barelvis and Deobandis. This is a simplistic and manipulative treatment of facts.

What we are currently witnessing in Karachi is the same phenomenon which we have been seeing and experiencing Peshawar, Lahore, FATA and other parts of Pakistan for the last many months and years, i.e., violence and terrorism by the Taliban and their affiliates, Sipah-e-Sahaba, against any individual or group who does not subscribe to their jihadi and sectarian agenda.

It is a known fact in Karachi that the Sipah-e-Sahaba's terrorists are responsible for the current cycle of violence against Sunni (Sunni Tehreek) and Shai (Jafaria Alliance) citizens of Karachi.

Also, it is know that certain intelligence agencies are responsible for feeding and protecting activists of Sipah-e-Sahaba / Taliban in Karachi.

Our media should be careful in apportioning the blame to where it rightfully belongs, i.e., Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba.

There is ample evidence that terrorists of Sipah-e-Sahab are being released by the Police or by the court on the pretext of various reasons. The outcome is a surge in anti-Shia and anti-Ahmadi killings in Pakistan.

Home department takes notice of sectarian killings
Daily Times, 13 June 2010

KARACHI: Taking serious notice of the recent spate of sectarian targeted killings, the Sindh Home Department has sought particulars of the activists of banned outfits that were released from jails recently and soon a crackdown is expected against them. "We have sought the list of those recently freed from jails through courts. Most of them belong to banned sectarian outfits," said Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza on Saturday at the Chief Minister's House. Over 20 people have been killed in the last two and a half months in the city in sectarian targeted killings. Mirza told journalists the government was taking concrete steps to curb targeted killings of sectarian nature and the police and Rangers have made several arrests. The home minister said the provincial government took a bold step by refusing to allow public meetings of a banned organisation, adding he has received life threats on the issue but would not bow. "Everybody knows that I always play on the forefront", he said. Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik while talking to media persons after meeting Sindh Chief Minster Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister's House said the Sindh government has convened a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss steps to control the recent sectarian violence in the city.

BBC Report 2001

In 2001, BBC's Susannah Price reported that:

Police in Pakistan's largest city Karachi are under intense pressure to end an upsurge in sectarian murders of doctors and other professionals in the city.

Extremists from the majority Sunni community [wrong: Sipah-e-Shaba terrorists do not represent Sunnis] have been blamed for the killing of four Shia doctors since April as well as the high profile murder of the head of Pakistan State Oil, Shaukat Mirza.

Fanatics from both sides have carried out many deadly attacks in Karachi over the years – but the new tactic is to target prominent personalities in the community.

Whenever Dr Hassan (his name has been changed to protect his identity) drives to work, his car radio on full blast – he puts his life at risk.

Doctors – along with lawyers and government officials – are being singled out by religious extremists. Most recent victims were Shias.

Dr Hassan believes the murder of doctors is meant to terrorise the community.

"Doctors are easily accessible people because their movement is known to everybody and people know what time they are going to their clinics and what place they are available for public services," he says.

"The other thing is the doctors are highly educated people and if you kill a doctor that creates more restlessness in the society," he adds.

Exodus

In some cases the gunmen have simply walked in and shot doctors in their clinics.

Some now have their own bodyguards. And according to Dr Sher Shah of Pakistan's Medical Association, many are leaving the country.

Sectarian killings are targeted killings [and] need lot of intelligence help – Jameel Yusuf, CPLC

More than 2,000 doctors have applied in the past six months to leave because of the security situation and the economic crisis, he says.

There are plenty of police out on the streets of Karachi, many guarding possible flashpoints such as mosques, but this kind of patrolling is virtually useless against these latest killings.

The extremists target their victims and plan their attacks carefully.

According to a most recent report published in Pakistan's daily The News:

Doctors' killing rings alarm bells

Friday, June 04, 2010
By our correspondent

Karachi

Caught up with confusion and presumptions, doctors at the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) are trying to connect the loose ends of fresh killings of doctors in the city as they express concern over the killings.

In the last 36 hours, two doctors have been killed in Karachi and one abducted for ransom in Hyderabad, having spread terror and fear among the doctors. Calling the killings sectarian in nature, Dr Habib Ur Rehman Soomro, Secretary General of PMA said that once again the doctors are being targeted because they are "easy targets" and can be easily located in their clinics.

Dr Hassan Raza Bokhari, 32, was killed by two gunmen as he prepared to leave for home after completing his night duty at National Medical Center near Kala Pull. The investigation officer at Frere Police Station, Ali Ahmad, where the First Information Report was filed (222-10/302), had a completely different take on the story and said that it can not be said with certainty that the victim was killed on sectarian grounds.

"The victim was unmarried and was in relationship with someone. It is more likely that there was a feud among families, but at this point we are still gathering proofs and a completely different story might unfold."

In another similar case, Dr Junaid Hussain was killed on his way to home by two unknown men. Inspector Mohsin at Bilal Colony Police Station, where the FIR (287/2010) was filed, reiterated the same fact as his colleague and said, "Up till now there is bee no evidence that it is a sectarian killing."

However, doctors at PMA refused to accept these killings as random. "These killings indicate that some elements are trying to terrorise doctors," said Dr Samrina Hashmi, former general secretary of PMA. Sitting among colleagues and friends at PMA, Dr Hashmi said that hitting prominent people creates "terror, anarchy and lawlessness, which such elements want."

Nine years ago, hordes of doctors were killed in a similar fashion which created furor among the medical community. Though the furor speeded up the investigative process, it however could not bring up the desired results as was expected. A banned Islamic outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was blamed for the targeted killings of Shia doctors in June 2002 and put before the courts. Lashkar's Akram Lahori was consequently arrested with two of his accomplices and admitted all the charges against him.

Consequently, Lahori was given life sentence and imprisonment by an Anti Terrorism Court. "He had admitted in his previous statement that even if he is killed his accomplices will carry on the work that they are doing it now," says Dr Soomro.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=242967

Today, Pakistan Medical Association once again formally protested against the inability (or lack of willingness) of the state to stop killing of Shia doctors in Karachi:

PMA upset as pathologist gunned down

Sunday, June 13, 2010
By our correspondent

Karachi

The office-bearers of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) staged a demonstration, attended by a handful of doctors, to condemn the killing of their colleagues as a pathologist was gunned down on Saturday at around 8:30am.

An upset Dr Samrina Hashmi, former general secretary of the PMA, said that they could not blame the government as "we cannot gather people from our own community".

Dr Farhat Moazzam, a professor of Bio-Medical ethics at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), said that instead of wasting time talking about the incident, they should take concrete steps to put an end to this violence. "I was told that the police know who the killers are, then why they are not arrested?" asked Dr Moazzam, adding that pressure will come from the civil society, which is being affected by these killings.

Speaking on the same lines was Dr Mirza Ali Haider, a senior member of the PMA, who said that the country was made on the basis of equality.

"My religion should not be a matter of concern to anyone and I have a right to ask

why minorities and religious sects in Karachi are discriminated and innocent people are being killed in the name of religion? Strangely, the basis on which the country was founded are the very same that are not being considered at all."

He said that if the killings continued, the doctors will not pay tax and will go on a strike.

Secretary Health, Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi, said that their protest has been registered with the government and pleaded that the doctors should not go on a strike. "Do not let your anger affect your profession for something which should unite all of us," added Zaidi.

President PMA Dr Idrees Adhi pointed out that killing of Shia doctors had been going on from 2000 till 2003, and said that the doctors should not go on a strike as the people who will suffer the most are the patients and general public of the city.

Talking about the general apathy among the people in general and law enforcers in particular, he said that they do not react unless something major happens.

It is pertinent to mention here that so far five doctors have been killed in the city with no clue of the killers. The doctors say that there is a clear involvement of a banned outfit, which is contrary to what the police officials investigating the matter say.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Wasim Ahmed had claimed in a meeting with the doctors at the PMA that he knew the culprits, to which Dr Samrina Hashmi says that they will believe it when they are arrested and punished accordingly.

Source: The News, 13 June 2010

Here are some news reports from recent past which point to the gravity of the situation:

Karachi death toll rises to 10
By Adnan Adil
2010-06-12

KARACHI – Street protests erupted and businesses were closed in parts of Karachi June 12 after two more people were killed on sectarian grounds, news media reported.

That brings the death toll to 10 in the ongoing spate of targeted killings during the last three days, BBC Urdu reported.

Unidentified men riding a motorbike shot and killed a Shia medical doctor, Naseem Hasan Jaffri, June 12, when he was on his way to his clinic, news media reported.

Police and the Rangers were patrolling tense areas of the city, including New Karachi, Federal B. Area, Golimar, Rizvia Society, Lyari, Pak Colony, Qaidabad, news media reported.

Since June 2, four doctors have been killed in what is believed to be tit-for-tat killings on sectarian basis.

http://centralasiaonline.com/cocoon...riefs/caii/newsbriefs/2010/06/12/newsbrief-01

Shia doctor gunned down

KARACHI: Another doctor belonging to the Shia sect was shot dead on Thursday by unidentified gunmen near the Railway Colony. Frere police said the deceased Hassan Hyder, 33, son of Kausar was a resident of Bilal Apartments, adding he was shot as he returning home from his clinic The police said the victim used to work at the National Medical College. Allama Abbas Komaili condemned the targeted killings of Shias and said the government should take notice of the killings of Shia doctors. In another incident, a mobile shop owner was gunned down on a business dispute in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block, 16. Police said the victim Babar Irshad was a resident of Jauhar square. Mishaps: A man was knocked to death by a metro passenger coach while crossing the road near the Abbot Laboratory in Quaidabad police precincts. Police said the deceased Gul Adar Khan was a resident of Kohat Colony, Quaidabad and a labourer by profession. In other mishap, a young man was electrocuted at Shershah Godown while at work. Shershah police shifted the body of the victim Sheraz Fakhar, 25, to Civil Hospital, Karachi for legal formalities. staff report

Daily Times, 4 June 2010

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\06\04\story_4-6-2010_pg7_29

Shia doctors killing reaches Quetta

Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Dr. Qamar Hussain Zaidi and Murtaza shot martyred on Sirki Road Quetta. Accrording to SFP Reports a terrorist of Sipah-e-Yazeed started firing upon Dr. Qamar while he was passing on Sirki Road at abtout 7:00 PM. He martyred on the spot. A young man Murtaza caught terrorists and griped him tightly but he also got bullet in his neck by a terrorist. Resulting he was seriously injured and rushed to CMH Quetta. Later on he also succumbed to his injuries and got martyrdom.

This incident occurred just one night before when Organizing committee of Shuhda-e-Baluchistan has arranged a protests in Quetta against Shia Killings and terrorism.. terrorists are showing that there is law of Jungle. There is bitter violation of basic human rights of Shia Muslims in certain cities of Pakistan. It needs immediate concern of human rights and higher authorities of country to be alert and pay their responsibilites.

23 June 2010

http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=189248

Shia killing is systematic and country wide

Concern shown over target killing of Shias
PPI 11 June 2010 Friday | 01:06:00
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HYDERABAD, Leaders of Jafria Alliance Hyderabad, Syed Rashid Hussain Shah, Sher Ali Shah, Qasim Jafri, Maulana Agha Muhammad Qambrani, Shamim Naqvi and Maulana Sajidi have expressed anger and concern on target killing of Shias in country especially in Karachi by terrorists.

They said that no day passes when the youth of Millat Jafria doctors, engineers, professors and others are not killed under target killing. They deplored that the media was hiding the truth and was not exposing the terrorists. They were highlighting news of the terrotists organizations to keep them alive. They said that after killing of doctors in Karachi Ali Afzal was murdered in Hangu, then Asif Raza killed in Nazimabad,and today murder of his brother Shahzad Raza were proof of target killing of persons of Shia community but the government could not see these killings. They warned that the patronisation of terrorists by government and blood of Millat Jafria would prove costly to authorities which will be revenged. They also deplored that the elected representatives of Millah Jafria have kept silence on killings of Millat Jafria. They made appeal to mothers, brothers and sons of Millat Jafria that time has come when they have to fight war for their survival and to stop target killing be prepared for country wide Dharna. They also made appeal to all political parties to raise voice in assemblies to stop target killing of Shias.

http://www.onepakistan.com/news/local/48111-Concern-shown-over-target-killing-Shias.html

UNHCR's Report on Shia Doctors Killings in Karachi

Pakistan: Information on the murder of Dr. Ibne Hassan on 16 August 2003 in Karachi; whether anyone has been charged or claimed responsibility; whether there are suspects; whether there is a trial pending
On 16 August 2003, unidentified gunmen shot and killed Dr. Ibne Hassan [also spelled Ibn-e-Hasan (AP 17 Aug. 2003) and Ibn-e-Hassan (Asian Affairs Nov. 2003)] in the Karachi neighbourhood of Malir (AFP 16 Aug. 2003; Pakistan Press 17 Aug. 2003). Following the murder, hundreds of people demonstrated in the streets and some caused damage to property in the area (AFP 16 Aug. 2003; AP 17 Aug. 2003; The News International 31 Aug. 2003). Following the funeral of Dr. Hassan on 17 August 2003, a riot broke out, resulting in attacks on a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, gas stations and a police checkpoint (AP 17 Aug. 2003; Reuters 17 Aug. 2003). Also on 16 August 2003 in Malir, unknown assailants shot and killed 80-year-old Syed Waji Haider (AFP 17 Aug. 2003; AP 17 Aug. 2003; Daily Times 17 Aug. 2003).

Both Dr. Hassan and Haider were Shiite Muslims (AP 17 Aug. 2003; Daily Times 17 Aug. 2003). According to media reports, the police believe the murder of Dr. Hassan was likely driven by sectarian aims (AFP 16 Aug. 2003; AP 17 Aug. 2003). In the few years preceding his murder, Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence claimed approximately 50 Shiite doctors in Karachi (The News International 31 Aug. 2003; AFP 17 Aug. 2003). In Pakistan, Shiite Muslims account for approximately 20 percent of the population (AFP 17 Aug. 2003) and Sunni Muslims account for 77 percent (US 5 Oct. 2006).

No information could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate as to whether any person or group has been charged with the murder of Dr. Hassan or has claimed responsibility, whether there are any suspects, or whether a trial is pending. However, in February 2004, two members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) [also Lashkar I Jhangvi (CDI 3 Mar. 2003) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (US 11 Oct. 2005)] were remanded in police custody for questioning in connection with the murder (Dawn 27 Feb. 2004; The News International 26 Feb. 2004). The LJ is a Sunni sectarian organization named by both the Pakistani and United States governments as a "terrorist" group (CDI 3 Mar. 2003; Shia News 30 Jan. 2003; US 11 Oct. 2003).

The LJ members in question, Sajid Jabbar, alias Budha (Dawn 19 Feb. 2004), and Mohammad Athar, aliases Khalid Memon (ibid.) and Kala (Pakistan Times 18 Feb. 2004), were also arrested in connection with other offences, including delivering parcel bombs to government offices (Dawn 18 Feb. 2004; Pakistan Press 4 Mar. 2004; Pakistan Times 18 Feb. 2004). Media sources indicate that both Jabbar and Athar were later acquitted of charges related to the parcel bomb case (Dawn 9 Mar. 2004; Pakistan Press 30 Aug. 2005; ibid. 22 Mar. 2004; ibid. 8 Mar. 2004). Media sources also report that Jabbar was suspected of involvement in the January 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl (CNN 17 Feb. 2004; Telegraph 5 Sept. 2004). Among the sources consulted, no information could be found regarding the outcome of the police questioning of Jabbar and Athar in relation to the murder of Dr. Ibne Hassan.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 17 August 2003. "Shiite Protesters Ransack US Franchise Fast Food Outlet in Pakistan." (Factiva)
_____. 16 August 2003. "Gunmen Kill Shiite Doctor in Pakistan's Port City." (Factiva)

Asian Affairs [Hong Kong]. November 2003. Ashok K. Behuria. "Future of Sectarianism." [Accessed 4 Oct. 2006]

Associated Press (AP). 17 August 2003. Afzal Nadeem. "Mob Violence Follows Funeral in Pakistan." (Factiva)

Cable News Network (CNN). 17 February 2004. "Police Arrest Pearl Suspect." [Accessed 5 Oct. 2006]

Center for Defense Information (CDI). 3 March 2003. "In the Spotlight: Lashkar I Jhangvi." Terrorism Project. [Accessed 12 Oct. 2006]

Daily Times [Lahore]. 17 August 2003. Hassan Mansoor. "Gunmen Kill Two Shias in Karachi." [Accessed 4 Oct. 2006]

Dawn [Karachi]. 9 March 2004. "Karachi: Death Sentence in Zuhair Murder Case Set Aside." [Accessed 5 Oct. 2006]
_____. 27 February 2004. "Karachi: LJ Activists Remanded in Murder Case." [Accessed 12 Oct. 2006]
_____. 19 February 2004. "LJ Activists Remanded in Police Custody." [Accessed 12 Oct. 2006]
_____. 18 February 2004. "Two LJ Leaders Arrested." [Accessed 12 Oct. 2006]

The News International [Karachi]. 26 February 2004. "Court Gives Police Remand of Two LJ Activists." [Accessed 4 Oct. 2006]
_____. 31 August 2003. Zulfiqar Shah. "The Killing Fields of Karachi." [Accessed 4 Oct. 2006]

Pakistan Press International Information Services. 30 August 2005. "SSP Activist Acquitted in Parcel Bomb Cases." (Factiva)
_____. 22 March 2004. "Police Submit Charge Sheets Against LJ's Activist." (Factiva)
_____. 8 March 2004. "LJ's Activist Acquitted in Parcel Bomb Cases." (Factiva)
_____. 4 March 2004. "LJ Activists' Remand Extended in Parcel Bomb Cases." (Factiva)
_____. 17 August 2003. "Violence Erupts in North Nazimabad Town after Funeral Prayers of Doctor Gunned Down in Malir Area." (Factiva)

Pakistan Times [Islamabad]. 18 February 2004. Kashiff Bhatty. "Alleged Leader of Outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Nabbed in Pakistan." [Accessed 5 Oct. 2006]

Reuters. 17 August 2003. "Pakistani Mourners Torch US Fast Food Outlet." (Factiva)

Shia News [Rugby, UK]. 30 January 2003. Ahmed Reza. "Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Put on US Terrorist List." [Accessed 12 Oct. 2006]

Telegraph [London]. 5 September 2004. Massoud Ansari. "Daniel Pearl 'Refused to Be Sedated Before His Throat Was Cut'." [Accessed 5 Oct. 2006]

United States (US). 5 October 2006. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "Pakistan." The World Factbook. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2006]
_____. 11 October 2005. Department of State. Office of Counterterrorism. "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)." [Accessed 13 Oct. 2006]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: The High Court of Sindh Karachi and a Pakistani criminal lawyer did not provide information within the time constraints of this Response.

Internet sites, including: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), Pakistan News Service, South Asian Terrorism Portal, The Nation, World News Network.

http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,IRBC,,PAK,,45f1478e11,0.html

Below is a list (1997-2005) of just some of the innocent victims of Sipah e Sahaba, Lashkar e Jhangavi and other Wahabi groups including Al-Qaeda:

Year 2005

July 17: Quetta Professor Syed Tahir Hussain Rizvi was shot dead in Quetta by two Wahabi terorists. His wife, Dr Nadir Khan, was severely injured in the attack.

May 30: Karachi Five people were killed, including two suicide bombers, in an attack at Madintul Ilm Imambargah in the Gulshan e Iqbal area of Karachi.

May 27: Islamabad At least 20 people were killed and many injured when a suicide bomber exploded himself in a mixed crowd of Shia and Sunni devotees gathered at the shrine of sufi saint Bari Shah Latif.

March 19: Gandhawa At least 43 people were killed when a Sipah e Sahaba terrorist exploded himself in a mixed crowd of Shia and Sunni devotees at the shrine of sufi saint Pir Rakhel Shah in Baluchistan province.

Year 2004

October 01: Sialkot At least 30 Shia worshipers were killed and more than 50 injured when a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a mosque during Friday prayers.

September 06: Quetta A retired professor Ateeq Hasan Naqvi was waiting at bus stop to return home from his private school when motorcyclists opened fire on him killing him on the spot.

June 6: Lahore Former provincial minister Pir Binyamin Rizvi was shot dead along with his driver and bodyguard

June 5: Dera Ghazi Khan Dr. Surrayia Nisar Khosa was shot dead in her Al-Zahrah(AS) hopital by Wahabi terrorists.

May 31 : Karachi 26 Shias, including seven children were killed by Wahabi terrorists in a suicide attack at Imam Ali Reza Mosque.

May 14: Lahore Six people from a family, including 2 children – one an infant – were killed by Wahabi terrorists.

May 07: KarachiAt least 30 Shia worshipers were killed and hundreds injured by Wahabis in a suicide bomb attack at a mosque during Friday prayers.

March 03: Quetta At least 47 people including five police officers, were killed and 160 injured when Whabis attacked a mourning procession

February 28: Rawalpindi Three children were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque.

Year 2003

October 03:Karachi 6 Shia Muslim employees of SPARCO killed and 7 others injured by Wahabi terrorists.

August 16:Karachi Syed Wajeeh Haider, A 75 year old shopkeeper, shot dead by Wahabi mullahs in his shop.

August 16:Karachi Dr. Ibn-e-Hassan, 45, was shot dead by Wahabi mullahs near his clinic.

July 05:Renala Khord Catholic priest Father George Ibrahim was gunned down at his home by Wahabi mullahs.

July 04:Quetta 50 Shia Muslims were killed and 65 others injured when Wahabi terrorists carried out a suicide attack at a mosque during Friday prayers in Quetta.

June 08:Quetta 12 Shia police cadets were killed and 8 seriously injured by Wahabi mullahs in Quetta.

June 06:Quetta Syed Niaz Hussain, Vice-President of Imambargah Sajjadia Sariab Road was killed by Wahabi terrorists.

February 27:Karachi Two Shia men, Ghulam Hussain and his nephew Baqar Raza, were shot dead at their bakery by three Sipah e Sahaba terrorists.

February 22:Karachi Nine Shia Muslims were killed and 10 injured when 4 Wahabi terrorists opened fire at worshipers in Mahdi Imambargah near the Karachi airport.

Year 2002

December 21: Sawhiwal DR Syed Zahid Hasnain Sherazi, Child Specialist, District Headquarters Hospital Sahiwal was attacked and seriously injured by Wahabi militants.

November 01:Lahore Capt Syed Imran Zaidi (retired), a 45 year-old doctor, was shot dead at his clinic on Wazeer Ali Road by a Wahabi terrorist

September 30:Charsada Agha Danish Alvi, a teacher at a government primary school, was shot dead by Wahabi terrorists inside the school premises.

August 10:Texila Three nurses were killed and 25 people were injured when Wahabis threw grenades on a chapel in the Taxila Christian Hospital

August 09:Quetta Brigadier Bartar Hussain Naqvi critically injured by Wahabi terrorists.

August 05:Murree Six people were killed when Wahabi militants opened fire at a Christian School in Murree

June 26:Waziristan Agency !0 Pakistani soldiers were martyred in a gun-battle with Wahabi terrorists belonging to Al-Qaeda. Names of the martyrs: Maj Rizwan, Lance Naik Sajawal, Sepoys Ishaq, Safdar Khan and Fazle Rabbi of the Baluch Regiment, and Capt Naeem, Lance Naik Hazrat Hussain, Lance Naik Din Muhammad, Sepoy Jameel Khan and Lance Abdus Samad of the South Waziristan Scouts.

June 17:Multan 3 Shia youths were shot dead by Wahabi terrorists near Imam Bargah Al-Hussaini in New Multan. The victims were identified as Hassan Raza Zaidi, his younger brother Ali Raza Zaidi and their friend Raza Haider

June 14:Karachi 11 killed in suicide bomb attack at the U.S. consulate.

May 25:Karachi Wahabi terrorists shot dead Agha Abbas, owner of a juice center in Nazimabad. Gul Zaman, a worker was wounded in the attack.

May 8:Karachi 11 French navy experts and two Pakistanis killed by a suicide bomber outside Sheraton Hotel

May 7:Lahore Renowned Sunni scholar Dr Ghulam Murtaza Malik, his driver and a policeman were shot dead by terrorists

May 7:Karachi 32 years-old Shia Muslim, Syed Asghar Ali Ziadi was shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba at his tailoring shop in Karachi

May 6:Karachi Syed Zafar Mehdi Zaidi, a prominent Shia figure and principal of Jamia Millia Technical College, Malir was shot dead along with his driver Qamar Zaman, and his peon, Mukhtar by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists. Qamar Zaman and Mukhtar belonged to the Sunni sect of Islam.

May 5:Karachi Dr Athar Hussain Rizvi, aged 50 was shot at and injured by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists at his clinic in F-South in Khokhrapar.

April 25:Bhakkar 7 women and 5 children were killed and at least 50 injured in a bomb blast at a religious gathering of thousands of Shia Muslims in the grounds of a mosque. A Wahabi terrorist using the name, Tauseef Ali was arrested on May 5, 2002 in connection to the Bhakkar massacre.

April 23:Karachi Nasir Ali – aged 20 and Aal e Raza Rizvi aged – 30 were shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists in Orangi Town area. Their third victim 18 year-old Fahad Hussain was wounded in the attack

April 10:Karachi Isfahan Haider, a 37 year-old shopkeeper was shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba in North Nazimabad

March 19:Lahore Professor Attaur Rahman, a prominent Sunni scholar was shot dead along with his driver by Sipah e Sahaba terroristsThe same terrorists then shot dead Syed Hasan Raza, a Shia Muslim who was standing outside a mosque near Professor Rehman's institue, Idara Minhaj ul Quran in the Jain Mandir area.

March 17:Islamabad 5 people were killed and 45 injured in a grenade attack carried out by Wahabi terrorists on a crowded Protestant church.

March 12:Karachi Anwar Ali Tirmizi and Zulfiqar Haider killed by the Sipah e Sahaba at a Tehrik e Jafria office in Shah Faisal Colony.

March 12:Shahkot Syed Gul Hassnain was killed along with his driver by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists in Shahkot (60 Kilometeres west of Multan).

March 12:Karachi Sipah e Sahaba terrorists attacked a Shia family killing three brothers Ahsan Ali, Mohsin Ali and Abbas Ali while their fourth brother, Irfan Ali was wounded in the attack.

March 11:Karachi Three doctors, Dr Ali Jaffar Naqvi, Dr Bilal and Dr Shahnaz Ahad escaped an attacked by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists in Defence Housing Authority

March 08:Karachi Dr. Muzaffar Ali Soomro was killed by Wahabis in Gizri, Clifton.

March 05:Karachi Dr. Aale Safdar Zaidi was killed by Wahabis in Gizri, Clifton.

January 29:Karachi Jawwad Rizvi, a retired employee of an insurance company in his early-60s was shot dead and his friend Zumarrud Hussain Jaffery wounded seriously by suspected Sipah e Sahaba terrorists.

January 23:Karachi Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and brutally murdered by Wahabi terrorists.

January 09:Karachi A Shia official Syed Hasan Ali shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba

Syed Rashid Mehdi was also shot dead by Wahabis in the Hussainabad area of Karachi. We were unable to get the exact date of his martyrdom.

Year 2001

November 15:Karachi A Shia industrialist, Syed Hasan Abidi shot dead.

October 28:Bahawalpur 15 Christian worshipers and a Muslims guard were killed at St. Dominic's Church by Wahabis. Shafiq-ur-Rehman, a Sipah e Sahaba terrorist was arrested on November 01 in connection to the church massacre

October 10:KARACHI: Sindh Board of Technical Education Chairman Syed Hassan Zaidi gunned down

October 09:KARACHI: College principal Syed Gul Imam Shah shot dead

October 04:KARACHI: 7 Shia Muslims were killed and 6 injured when Sipah e Sahaba terrorists opened fire at worshippers at Ali Murtaza Mosque (Azam Basti).

September 13: QUETTA: Professor Atiq Hasan Naqvi hurt, son killed in Quetta

September 12: KARACHI: Pesh Imam of Defence mosque, Allama Syed Razi Hyder and his son shot dead

September 10: KARACHI: Capt (Retd) Altaf Hussain Bungasha, a PTCL official, killed

September 04: KARACHI: Pesh Imam of Hussainiya Sajjadiya, Maulana Hussnain Naqvi, shot dead

September 01: KARACHI: Three, including Hamid Rizvi, gunned down

August 29: QUETTA: Masked men kill civil engineer Syed Abid Abbas Naqvi

August 18: KARACHI: Grenade attack on Pesh-Imam of Masjid-e-Shah-e-Khorrasan

July 30: KARACHI: Syed Zafar Hussain, Director R&D in the Ministry of Defence killed

July 30: LAHORE: Imam Masjid Syed Rizwanul Hassan killed

July 28: MULTAN: Former MPA Siddiq Kanju and friend shot dead

July 26: KARACHI: Shaukat Raza Mirza, MD of PSO, and driver shot dead

July 24: MAILSI: Religious leader Syed Ziaul Hassan Kirmani and others killed

July 20: KARACHI: Commissioner office staffer shot dead in Lines Area

July 15: KARACHI: Another Shia killed in Orangi Town

July 09: KARACHI: Two gunned down outside Imambargah

July 08: KARACHI: Doctor Ishrat Hussain falls prey to Wahabism

July 03: Rahimyarkhan: Syed Ibrar Hussain, a computer engineer and member of Imambargah Hussaineya was brutally beaten up at his shop by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists. Ibrar died later in the hospital.

June 27: DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Top Shia leader, Syed Hassan Ali Kazmi, gunned down by SSP terrorists

June 26:Karachi: Dr. Mohammad Raza, was shot dead by Wahabis in Saeedabad area.

June 26: KARACHI: Shia doctor shot dead in Soldier Bazaar

June 17:Karachi: Dr. Asad Ali was killed by Wahabis in Saeedabad area.

June 14: MULTAN: Two Shias shot dead

June 01:Karachi: Dr. Raza Mohammad Jafri was killed by Wahabis in the Gulshan area.

May 31: KARACHI: Doctor shot dead in Gulshan-e-Iqbal

May 24:Karachi: Dr. Syed Javed Nazim was killed by Wahabis on M T Khan Road.

May 21:Karachi: Dr. Raza Mehdi Jafri was killed by Wahabis in Gulshan e Iqbal area.

May 18: KARACHI: Sunni Tehrik Chief, six others shot dead in Karachi

May 09: KARACHI: Two shot and wounded in Orangi Town

May 07: NOWSHERA: Ali Sarwar Sarhadi, a Shia leader fired upon

May 07: DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Senior Superintendent of Police Ijaz Ahmad Langarial shot dead

April 28: KARACHI: Sub-inspector Syed Hashim Raza shot dead

April 3:VEHARI: Former TJP leader shot dead

March 22:Multan: Lashkar man confesses to several killings

March 18:Karachi Dr. Zahid Hussain was killed by Wahabis in Al-Asif Square area.

March 4: 12 killed in attacks on Shias in Sheikhupura

March 2: Tehrik-i-Jafria worker shot dead in Karachi

March 1: Riots claim 8 lives after attack on Shias in Hangu

Febuary 26: TJP activist shot dead in Vehari

Febuary 22: Lawyer dies in Gujranwala terrorist attack

Febuary 22: Ex-DSP, son shot dead; attackers arrested in Karachi

Febuary 18: Three killed in sectarian attack in Faisalabad

Febuary 17: Bodyguard killed in attack on TJP leader in Jhang

Febuary 9: Two shot dead in Karachi

Febuary 7: TJP activist, another man shot dead in Tank

Febuary 6: Two TJP activists shot dead in Karachi

January 25: Tehrik Jafaria man shot dead in Multan

January 20: Iranian religious scholar shot dead in Karachi

Year 2000

December 30: TJP leader shot dead, wife injured in Karachi

December 16: DSP Lahore Tariq Kamboh and his driver were gunned down

December 04: Human rights activist & Former PPP MPA, Syed Zakir Hussain Shah shot in Rawalpindi

December 02: Dr. Nayyar Hussain gunned down in Orangi Town

November 24: TJP Secretary-General Anwar Ali Akhunzada shot dead in Peshawar

October 31: Dr. Altaf Husain killed in Orangi Town

October 30r. Karamat Ali shot dead in Orangi Town

June 27:Four Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activists arrested in Karachi for killing Dr Adib-ul-Hasan Rizvi & Dr Zafar Naqvi of Malir and others

June 14:Lashkar-e-Jhangvi activist confesses to killing 6 Shia leaders

June 06:Karachi: Dr. Wahid Baloch was killed by Wahabis in the Pakistan Quarters area.

May 16:Critically wounded brother of a local Shia leader in Hyderabad

May 15:Advocate Syed Sardar Jafary, President of Voice of Shia Organisation shot dead in Karachi

May 15:Killer of Magistrate Syed Fida Husain, his daughter Batool and gunman, held in Gujranwala

May 3:Advocate Malik Ibrar Hussain shot dead in Toba Tek Singh

May 2:Syed Sibtain Hasan Dosa and two others shot dead in Karachi

April 28:TJP activist Shahbaz Hussain Shirazi shot dead in Chishtian

April 26:Advocate Syed Farrukh Birjees Haider Tirmizi and another shot dead in Khanewal

April 19:Iqbal Hussain shot dead in Multan

April 12:17 people killed in an attack on a Majlis in Malohwali. Attock

April 7:TJP leader Syed Waqar Hussain Naqvi shot dead along with his son and driver Syed Munir Hussain Zaidi, Dr. Karamat Hussain and Dr. Syed Nayyar Hussain were also shot dead by Wahabis in the year 2000 in Aurangi Town, Karachi. We were unable to get the exact dates of their martyrdom.

Year 1999

October 07:Aun Mohammad Rizvi of PTV was shot dead in Rawalpindi

October 07: Dr. Aale Hussain and his son were shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road in Karachi.

October 1,:9 Shot Dead in Malir Imambargah in Karachi

September 30:Advocate Ejaz Rasoolnagri killed in sectarian attack

September 28:Advocate Khurshid Anwar advocate, his daughter Ume Laila and his guard shot dead near Bannu

January 05era Ismail KhanDr.Ali Bangash was shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists

Year 1998

December 27:Ghazi Abad, Chichawatni Syed Taqi Mohsin S/O Syed Ashiq Hussain was killed by Wahabi terrorists.

October 07:Ijaz Hussain shot dead in Khanewal

September 29olice Constable Maqbool Hussain shot dead in Multan

September 22: Five shot dead in attack on Majlis near Multan

May 05: Pir Shakoor Ali Jafari, President Tehrik e Jafaria, Lahore Cantt., was killed by a Wahabi terrorist at his home in Lahore.

March 30:3 Shias shot dead in Multan

Febuary 21:Two Iranian Engineers shot dead in Karachi

January11: 25 Shia Muslims including children were killed and many injured when Sipah e Sahaba terrorists opened fire at a funeral gathering at a graveyard in Momin Pura, Lahore

Year 1997

November 03: Two brothers, Aulad Hussain Shah and Baqar Hussain Naqvi killed in Sialkot

October 21: DSP Syed Tanveer Haider was killed at his home in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi by Wahabi terrorists

August 4:Jhang Syed Mujahid Hussain was shot dead by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists.

August 10:Karachi Dr. Jaffar Abbas Zaidi was brutally murdered by Sipah Sahaba terrorists in the premises of Abbasi Shaheed hospital where he was serving as medical superintendent.

July 30:Sahiwal Advocate Syed Abid Hussain and his son Advocate Syed Haider Abbas were killed by Wahabi terrorists.

July 01:Khanewal 47 year-old Mohummad Badar Abbas s/o Syed Jamshed Hussain was martyred by terrorists belonging to Sipah e Sahaba.

May 14:Okara President of Evan e Hussain, Okara Dr Hadi Hussain was shot dead by Wahabi terrorists.

May 6:SSP Ashraf Marth and his driver Tabbasum Zamir shot dead

April 14:Okara Dr Syed Ijaz Imam was shot dead by Wahabi terrorists.

March 19:Jhang Syed Mahmood-ul-Hassan was shot dead atAAyub Chowk in Jahang City by Sipah e Sahaba terrorists. Five months later, his son Syed Mujahid Hussain was also shot dead.

Febuary 20:Seven, including Iranian diplomat, gunned down at Iranian Centre in Multan

January 04:Chichawatni Shaikh Barkat Ali and his nephew were killed by Wahabi terrorists.

The following were also killed in the same year. We were unable to get the exact dates of their martyrdom.

Dr. Mansoor Anis: Aurangi Town, Karachi.
Anisul Hasan Rizvi: Saeedabad, Karachi.
Iqtidaar Sajjad Naqvi: Korangi, Karachi.
Syed Jaffer Abbasi: Nazimabad, Karachi.
Dr. Shakir Ali: Nazimabad, Karachi.
Pervaiz Akhtar Naqvi: Saudabad, Karachi.
Syed Ali Jaan Jafri: Mohammad Hussain Road, Karachi.
Mehdi Hussain: Karachi.
Dr Muhammad Ali Naqvi: Lahore
Dr Qaider Reza Sayal: Lahore

http://al-huda.al-khoei.org/news/124/ARTICLE/1108/2005-01-01.html
Killing of Shia doctors continues unabated in Karachi. There is ample evidence of the state's institutional involvement in crimes against Shias and other religious minorities in Pakistan.

Here is how it works:

1. Pakistan Army's intelligence agencies recruit mercenaries for their jihadi wings (proxy army) by fanning sectarian and faith based hatred against Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus etc.

2. Jihadi terrorists recruited and trained by the ISI, MI etc are allowed to pursue their sectarian agenda within Pakistan by target killing of Shias, Ahmadis, Christians etc. (Read Khalid Ahmed's excellent article on the Shia killings on Jahane Rumi)

3. In most cases, Pakistan Police are unable to arrest the culprits because terrorists' mentors and protectors in Pakistan Army pressurize the police to refrain from arresting their 'assets'.

4. In a few cases, when the terrorists are arrested and produced before a court of law, terrorists' mentors and protectors in Pakistan Army (ISI, MI etc) influence the police to refrain from submitting a substantial evidence. A similar pressure is exerted on judges in the court who are also sent anonymous letters threatening them with 'dire consequences' if the court failed to release the terrorists.

The end result is as follows: terrorists of Sipah-e-Sahaba have once again successfully launched their 'kill a Shia doctor a day' operation in Karachi.

 

[nandu]

Shia scholar, SSP activist gunned down

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
By Salis bin Perwaiz

Karachi

Sectarian tension mounted in the city on Monday as unidentified armed men shot dead a Shia writer in Nazimabad, while a leader of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) was killed in the Mobina Town police limits, stirring protests and violence in some areas.

Syed Ayub Naqvi (55-60) was passing in his car (ADN-860) from near Baqai Hospital in Nazimabad on Monday morning when two armed men riding two motorcycles came near his vehicle and sprayed him with bullets. He was immediately taken to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

After the incident, leaders and activists of the Jafferia Alliance and the Imamia Students Organisation staged a protest at the hospital, demanding immediate arrest of the killers.

According to SHO Jehanzeb of the Nazimabad police station, Syed Ayub Naqvi was a resident of Meeqasa Apartments situated near Essa Nagri, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, and was running an Islamic books shop adjacent to Imambargah Noor-ul-Ameen in Nazimabad No-3. The deceased was a known Shia scholar and he had written several religious books.

Naqvi has left behind a widow, a daughter and a son.

SHO Jehanzeb said that the police recorded the statements of eyewitnesses who narrated that both the gunmen were riding different motorcycles and they were wearing Shalwar Kameez and appeared to be in middle age. The criminals had used 9mm pistols and the deceased received three bullets on different parts of his body.

His funeral prayers were offered by a large number of Shia leaders and activists at Rizvia Imambargah and he would be laid to rest at Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard in Memon Goth.

Meanwhile, when the funeral procession of Syed Ayub Naqvi was moving towards Wadi-e-Hussain graveyard, some unidentified people opened aerial firing and blocked the Nazimabad Chowrangi area.

The protesters pelted the passing vehicles with stones and torched a vehicle near Inquiry Office in Nazimabad.

A protest was also launched in Ancholi area and Shahra-e-Pakistan was blocked due to which a traffic mess occurred and the commuters were directed to use alternate routes. However, a number of vehicles stuck up in the traffic gridlock and tension gripped the area. The situation in the affected areas was tense till the filing of this report.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim alias Maana, a SSP leader, was killed in the Mobina Town police limits. He was present near his shop at Memon Okhai Jamaat Centre, Mosmiyat Chowrangi when two unidentified armed men on a motorcycle sprayed him with bullets and fled. The people present at the spot immediately shifted him to a hospital where he breathed his last. Sources said that the deceased received four bullet wounds on different parts of his body.

Ibrahim was on bail from jail. He used to run a flour shop at Mosmiyat.

After the incident, SSP activists staged a protest at the hospital and later took away the deceased's body. Unidentified armed men resorted to aerial firing in North Karachi, Mosmiyat and other areas, while shops and markets in the area were also closed.

Armed miscreants also attempted to torch a bus near Mosmiyat, but law-enforcement personnel foiled the attempt. The deceased's funeral prayer will be held at Siddiq-i-Akber Mosque on Tuesday morning.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=245019

 

[ajtr]

Target killing claims 7 more lives in Karachi​

Upadated on: 15 Jun 10 12:36 PM


KARACHI: Seven more people were killed in different acts of target killings here on Tuesday, according to SAMAA TV.

One 28 year old got killed in Lee Market of Karachi late night by some unidentified assailants.

According to reports, unknown assailants shot and killed 65-year-old Ayub Naqvi in Nazimabad No-4. The victim received three bullets in his body, which ultimately led to his death. Later in the day, hundreds of people attended the deceased's funeral held at Imambargah Rizvi. He was buried at Wadi Hussain Graveyard.

Dozens of people gathered in Nazimabad and burned tyres to protest the killings, causing huge massive traffic jam. Meanwhile, police reached the scene and resorted to aerial firing and shelling to disperse them.

In Buffer Zone area, Tabish, 28, a rickshaw driver, was gunned down by unknown persons.

Another man, identified as Ibrahim, was shot dead in Gulistan-e-Johar. His funeral prayer would be offered at Al-Rahim Mosque at 10am near Mosmiat.

On the other hand, Ishaq Meo died of wounds in a private hospital. He was attacked by unknown assailants on Sunday.

In another act of violence, unidentified persons shot and injured 18-year-old Naeem Ali in the limit of Sachal Police Station.

Sectarian tension gripped the city due to target killings as shops and business activities remained suspended in many areas.

 

[ajtr]

Sectarian violence flared after agencies were fettered​

Coalition partners of the Sindh government had held successful meetings late last month to sort out the issue of political target killings in the city, following which the phenomenon came to a screeching halt. The respite, however, was short-lived.

Following this breakthrough, Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza issued a letter to the heads of intelligence agencies on June 3 making it obligatory that any detention by them be first referred to the local police station, so that all misconceptions are avoided.

Interestingly, two days after the fetters were placed, sectarian violence erupted in the city.

In the letter, addressed to ISI commander, FIA director and other top intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, Mirza instructed them to stop arresting people without taking local police into confidence.

The letter issued the directives: "[...] It is decided that henceforth any arrest required to be made in furtherance of a legal process by any agency must be done only and only after information of such an arrest has first been communicated to the police station concerned where such an arrest is supposed to be made. Snap checking on the pretext of search must also be communicated to the relevant police station. If this practice is not followed, the arrest of the individual or group of individuals shall be subject to judicial scrutiny and the government shall take an adverse view of it. I would like to place on record that these instructions be fully complied with in the future."

From the text of the letter, it is evident that the intelligence agencies had made arrests that were not welcomed by the ruling parties.

In a situation where the powers of the intelligence agencies have been limited, the police are finding it difficult to control the law and order situation, despite claims by CCPO Karachi Waseem Ahmed and Zulfikar Mirza of the inroads being made by operations.

 

[ajtr]

Sectarian scourge​

After an all-too-brief pause the curse of 'targeted killings' has returned to Karachi. This time the victims are apparently being targeted not for their ethnic background or political affiliation, but for their religious beliefs, giving the latest bloody cycle a sectarian colour. Up to 15 people have been killed in the city in the first two weeks of June, mostly belonging to the Shia community. The latest incident saw the killing of a 68-year-old man in broad daylight on Monday. Armed motorcyclists rode up to Syed Ayub Naqvi's car and shot him. The elderly man was on his way to an imambargah. The death was followed by violent protests in the city. Many areas of Karachi remained tense on Tuesday. Also on Monday the activist of a banned sectarian outfit was gunned down on University Road.

As usual, condemnations and promises to do more have come from the rulers as well as those tasked with enforcing law and order. The Sindh IG police has said "efforts are on" to trace those behind the killings while the federal interior minister has said there is "zero tolerance" for those involved in the violence. President Zardari and members of the Senate have also expressed "concern" over the incidents. Over the last year or so, hundreds of people have fallen victim to targeted killings in Karachi for various reasons. Now the time for platitudes is over. Tough words need to be backed by solid action, and if those tasked with maintaining peace aren't capable of doing so, perhaps more capable individuals can be given the job.

The scourge of sectarianism in this country seems to be unstoppable. The seed planted three decades ago has grown into an uncontrollable hydra eating away at the fabric of this nation. The recent slaughter of Ahmadis in Lahore is fresh in the mind, but believers of all persuasions have been targeted by the self-proclaimed guardians of faith. Mosques, imambargahs and other places of worship have been brazenly attacked while religious processions have been bombed. Areas like Dera Ismail Khan, Parachinar and Karachi remain tinderboxes, which can easily be set alight at the slightest provocation.

Hence the government needs to clamp down on those who openly preach and practise violence. Cosmetic measures like increasing frisking and snap-checks of motorists in Karachi will not end targeted killings. As we have repeatedly said, the criminals behind the killings need to be brought to book while their support networks must be neutralised. Banned sectarian terror outfits must be permanently put out of business and not allowed to regroup under different names. This madness has to end.

 

[ajtr]

What else is persecution? —Salma B Ahmad​

Ahmedis have always been a soft target for persecution. Time and again they have been arrested for greeting someone with an Assalam-o-Alaikum, reciting the kalima or reading the Holy Quran

I took my first breath as an infant in a country whose government and people had already declared me and my community to be heretics. As a child, I did not realise the implications of the draconian laws of 1974 and 1984 that Pakistan, my country, had imposed on us. The state had forbidden us to even profess and defend our beliefs without any reason.

With age as I learned more about our society, I started to observe the injustice done to Ahmedis. I still remember that the subject of Pakistan Studies was a constant obstacle in our path to learn about true history. It was frustrating to read about the efforts of Sir Syed, Allama Iqbal, Liaqat Ali Khan, with no mention of the Ahmediyya Jamaat's contributions to Pakistan.

The textbooks did not elaborate that it was Mir Dard — an Ahmedi missionary in London — who convinced Jinnah to return to India to restart his campaign for the rights of Muslims back in the 1930s. They did not mention Sir Zafarullah Khan who authored the Lahore resolution, became our country's foreign minister and got the Kashmir resolution passed at the UN. They did not mention Dr Abdus Salam — a Pakistani scientist — who was our country's first Nobel Prize winner and a leading physicist of the 20th century. They did not name a host of Ahmedi generals and soldiers who fought gallantly in the army in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Moreover, our Pakistan Studies books had no reference to the anti-Ahmedi laws that were ordained in 1974 and 1984.

As a student, I knew about these injustices because I grew up in an Ahmedi household. Sadly, while my friends knew that I was an Ahmedi, they did not know our role in the establishment and prosperity of Pakistan. They were even oblivious of the anti-Ahmedi laws.

Ahmedis have always been a soft target for persecution. Time and again they have been arrested for greeting someone with an Assalam-o-Alaikum, reciting the kalima or reading the Holy Quran. Their properties and 'mosques' have been confiscated and they have been denied high ranks in services. Several Ahmedis from different walks of life have also been murdered brutally as a result of fatwas given by the mullahs and some media persons. The list of persecution goes on.

May 28 was a culmination of the hatred and intolerance that was and is still being fostered by the so-called ulema. These ulema continue to preach hate in their madrassas, even after the Ahmedi massacre, and readily distribute hate literature.

When Nawaz Sharif dared to profess solidarity with the Ahmedis recently, the sentiments of these very ulema got hurt. But then it is not unusual for them to get hurt easily. After all, they are just too sensitive.

As BBC Urdu reported, leaders of 13 religious parties got together to condemn Nawaz Sharif's statement and demanded from him to clarify his status regarding Ahmedis (message intended: denounce them or face our wrath). People may not know this, but some ulema have asked Muslims to renew their nikah and declare themselves Muslim again by reciting the kalima if they had attended the funerals of the Ahmedis.

Such is the mindset of the ulema who declare themselves to be true Muslims! Yet, these true Muslims violate the Quranic injunction: "There is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), which clearly allows all of us to practise our respective faiths in peace.

There is ample evidence of the illogical and child-like tantrums of these mullahs to incite hate against Ahmedis. These bigots do not refrain from their fiery rhetoric and wajib-ul-qatal fatwas at every opportunity to promote their vested interests at the expense of Pakistan and Islam.

Our country is facing a critical situation. I hope that unlike 1974 and 1984, this time the government would refrain from appeasing the mullahs and courageously fight the war against hate and intolerance.

 

[ajtr]

Govt's inability to curb attacks despite 'prior notice' irks HRCP​

HRCP has expressed alarm over the carnage at the shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bukhsh in Lahore late on Thursday night, believed to have been caused by suicide bombers
Lahore, July 2, 2010: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed alarm over the carnage at the shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bukhsh in Lahore late on Thursday night, believed to have been caused by suicide bombers.

A statement issued by HRCP on Friday said: "It is a matter of grave concern that despite repeated official claims of breaking the back of terrorists, they retain the ability to launch vicious terrorist attacks across the country almost at will. The assault demonstrates the potency of militant groups that the government incessantly repeats operate from sanctuaries in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Reports that intelligence agencies had alerted the police about terror threats against shrines in Lahore offer little consolation to the bereaved families though they certainly raise disturbing questions about the authorities' complacency and flabbiness. Belated statements of prior knowledge of threats only add to the frustration the public feels over security agencies' helplessness to stop the killings. Nor does bureaucrats' rush to name external agents reflect on their efficiency or sense of responsibility.

Equally frustrating have been clerics' stock statement that no Muslim can commit such atrocities. Instead of living in denial, the clerics need to reflect on the reasons for religious extremism in Pakistan and the possible consequences and their own contribution to the promotion of intolerance and the cult of violence.

Thursday night's bombings strike at the heart of moderate Islam that most Pakistanis practise. Those still pretending that intolerance and extremism are not tearing at the heart of Pakistan are complicit in acts of terrorism and the loss of lives they cause."