Further information on UA: 139/12 Index: ASA 33/007/2012 Pakistan Date: 1 June 2012
URGENT ACTION
POLITICIANS GIVEN PROTECTION BUT MORE NEEDED
Following an Urgent Action issued by Amnesty International on 11 May,
additional security has been ordered for regional parliamentarians
Saleem Khursheed Khokhar and Pitamber Sewani. They had been receiving
threats for campaigning against forced conversions and marriages from
the Hindu minority community in Sindh province, Pakistan. Hindu
communities in Sindh continue to face persecution and attacks. Pakistani
authorities must ensure perpetrators of these attacks are brought to
justice.
Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action on 11 May calling on Pakistan’s authorities to provide adequate protection to Saleem Khursheed Khokhar a
Christian Member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly (MPA), after he was
threatened for defending the rights of the minority Hindu community. On
12 May Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah ordered additional security
for Saleem Khursheed Khokhar and Hindu MPA Pitamber Sewani who has also received threats for defending the human rights of minority groups.
Saleem Khursheed Khokhar and Pitamber Sewani have welcomed the
protection but highlighted concerns that the security detail provided by
the Sindh authorities has not been sufficiently vetted, especially in
light of recent assassinations of other politicians for defending
minorities rights by their own body guards. Saleem Khursheed Khokhar and
Pitamber Sewani state that the authorities have yet to find the
individuals who carried out the threats against them despite detailed
complaints being lodged with the police and orders from Chief Minister
Shah for intelligence authorities to investigate. Saleem Khursheed
Khokhar and Pitamber Sewani are concerned that no action will be taken against the perpetrators without more public pressure.
Providing adequate physical security to defenders of human rights
and bringing perpetrators of threats against them to justice is
necessary to protect them from immediate harm. It is also a critical
first step towards tackling the wider issue of attacks and other forms
of discrimination against minorities.
Please write immediately in English, Urdu or your own language calling on the authorities to:
Ensure that adequate protection is provided for Saleem Khursheed
Khokhar and Pitamber Sewani and their families at all times. This
includes ensuring that guards provided are properly vetted;
Promptly investigate all threats received by Saleem Khursheed Khokhar
and Pitamber Sewani, and by anyone involved in campaigning against
forced conversions and forced marriages;
Bring to justice anyone responsible for threats and other abuse
against religious minorities, including forced conversion and forced
marriage, in trials which meet international standards of fairness.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 13 JULY 2012 TO:
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Prime Minister
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister House
Islamabad,
Pakistan
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
Chief Minister, Sindh
Qaim Ali Shah
Interior Minister of Sindh
Dr. Zia ud Din Ahmed Road
Karachi, Sindh
Pakistan
Fax: +92 21 992 02000
Salutation: Dear Chief Minister Shah
Inspector General Sindh Police
Mushtaq Shah�Sindh Police
Head Office I. I. Chundrigar Road
Karachi, Sindh
Pakistan
Fax: +92 21 99 212 051
Salutation: Dear Mr Shah
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Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country.
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