March 30, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 10, 1428

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KARACHI, March 29: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on Thursday said law-enforcement agencies were “continuing to kidnap and getting citizens disappeared without any check or restraint”.

“After the commendable suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan vis-a-vis enforced disappearance of around 40 persons and the HRCP’s constitutional petition against the disappearance of about 158 citizens of Pakistan, it is shocking that agencies are still kidnapping citizens,” said Iqbal Haider, the secretary-general of the HRCP, in a statement issued here.According to him, the HRCP continued to receive complaints of kidnapping and disappearances of citizens from various parts of the country.

“According to the recent complaints received, a 17 years old student of matriculation, Afzal Dilbar, president of Baloch Students Organisation in Pasni, along with his three friends, Gul Muhammad, Shabbir and Mohammad, was reportedly picked up by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tehsil Tump, and SHO Tump Police Station on February 15, 2007 from Tehsil Tump, District Kech, Balochistan, and then they had been handed over to the Frontier Constabulary,” he said, adding, “Since then their whereabouts remain unknown. The family members of the disappeared victims approached the Tump Police Station but no FIR could be registered.”

The HRCP office-bearer said another case reported from the same district was that of Noor Jan. “He was reportedly picked up by the law-enforcement agency personnel in plain clothes from Ghulam Nabi Petrol Pump, Salala Bazaar, Tehsil Turbat, District Kech, on February 09, 2007. Since then the whereabouts of Mr Jan remain unknown,” said Mr Haider.

He called upon the federal and provincial governments and all the law-enforcement agencies to ensure the release or production in the courts of all the illegally arrested, abducted and disappeared citizens.

He also demanded of the authorities: to disclose the reasons, justification and charges, if any, for the arrest of the abducted citizens; restrain all the officials from illegally arresting/abducting, torturing, victimising and harassing the said detainees or implicating them in false and fabricated cases; and to ensure their physical well-being.He demanded that advocates and members of the victims’ families be allowed to meet them wherever they may be detained and strict disciplinary action be taken against officers of the law-enforcement agencies involved in such “inhuman and illegal” activities.