South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) expresses deep concern at the growing religious terrorism in Pakistan that is daily targeting people on the basis of their faith. The first ten days of January alone has seen two major attacks on members of the Shia sect in Balochistan, including those from Hazara community, killing hundreds of people. The fact that banned sectarian groups openly claim responsibility and the government appears helpless or unwilling to act against them is a sad commentary on the state of callous disregard for human life.
The unchecked growth of religious militancy has also affected the work of NGOs, civil society and human rights defenders. Among those killed in the massacre in Quetta on 10 January was Irfan Khudi Ali, a committed rights activist who had stepped out of his house to help blast victims. Parts of the country have seen increasing violence against NGO workers, particularly women. They have been kidnapped or shot dead in broad daylight. Among those recently killed are female polio vaccinators who were performing their duties in Karachi and Peshawar.
SAHR is deeply disturbed with the recent exchange of firing and report of the beheading of two Indian jawans along the LoC. The firing and killing of two Indian and one Pakistani jawan is highly deplorable and no sane person or society can accept such unwarranted and gruesome incidences. The said incidences have a potential to derail the ongoing peace process that has shown remarkable progress in recent times in easing the visa regime, improving trade relations and securing many other confidence building measures that hold great promise for both the countries.
Initially Pakistan alleged one Pakistani soldier was killed and another injured in an unprovoked Indian firing and accordingly they summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Gopal Baglay and lodged their protest. The report of Pakistani troops crossing LoC in the Mendhar sector of Jammu & Kashmir on Monday and killing two Lance Naik’s is also shocking. The report also says that the body of one of the soldiers was mutilated. India summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner to protest the gruesome incident. If true, it is reprehensible and must be thoroughly investigated to punish the guilty and ensure such terrible incidences do not recur.
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) condemns the execution of Rizana Nafeek, and expresses grave concern about the continuing vulnerability experienced by many migrant workers from South Asian countries.
Rizana was 17 years old when she traveled to Saudi Arabia, under forged documents, to be employed as a domestic worker. The child in her care died, and while she claimed it was accidental, she was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, over two years later.
Efforts to have her pardoned were championed by many, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, but contrary to some reports that she would soon be pardoned, she was executed on 9th January 2013.
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) mourns the death of Shri I. K. Gujral, Former Prime Minister of India and the Founding Chair of SAHR. Shri Gujral made his mark as a global leader and a visionary for peace.…
South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) joins human rights activists around the World in commemorating the International Day of the Disappeared.
The practice by State actors of forcibly disappearing and illegally detaining someone, without acknowledging their arrest or whereabouts, places the victim outside the protection of the law and is often linked to the crimes of torture and extra-judicial killings.