HRCP slams murder of coordinator in Khyber Agency

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has condoled and condemned the brutal killing of Zarteef Afridi, HRCP coordinator in Khyber Agency, and called upon the government to apprehend his killers and address growing threats facing human rights defenders in the region.

 In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commission said: “HRCP is grieved at the murder earlier today of Zarteef Afridi in Khyber Agency. Zarteef was a tireless human rights defender who dedicated his life to promoting human rights, tolerance and peace in a region beset with conflict. Repeated threats to his life had failed to deter him from his work. In his death, the civil society has lost a committed campaigner for the cause of human rights. HRCP is grieved at his death and condoles with Zarteef’s family at their loss.

 Zarteef’s murder also underscores the escalating threats that those working for human rights face in Pakistan, particularly in the tribal areas. HRCP calls upon the government to realize its duty to do everything within its power to apprehend Zarteef’s killers and show through its actions in the next few days its commitment to protect and facilitate human rights defenders.”

Ansar Burney Trust bringing back bodies of 17 Pakistanis

The Ansar Burney Trust contacted the Iran Government on humanitarian grounds to bring back the dead bodies of 17 trafficked Pakistanis died in an accid...ent in Iran on 11th of September, when their vehicle fell off a hill and since their dead bodies are now lying at Imam Reza Hospital, Sham Hospital and two other Hospitals in Tehran.

Mr. Fahad Burney, Vice Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust is now in contact with the Iran Government to bring these dead bodies to Pakistan so that their family members would be able to see their faces before burrial as per their Islamic traditions in Pakistan.

Fahad Burney said that these all were belongs from Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala and other parts of Punjab.

Ansar Burney Trust said that as per reports 43 Pakistanis were going illegally to Turkey via Iran to go to Europe after paying Rs. 600,000 to an Agent in Pakistan. The criminal Agent after taking 600,000 from each Pakistani arranged visa (fake) to take them to Europe on a promise of better future.

The Expert Advisor on Human Rights in the United Nations at Geneva and Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, Mr. Ansar Burney has demanded the Government of Pakistan to bring these cruel and criminal Agents to Justice to stop further human trafficking from Pakistan.

The Ansar Burney Trust will bear all the expenses to bring these back to pakistan, purely on humanitarian grounds as these families sent their loved ones for a better future in Europe after taking loans on interest.

In this regard Mr. Fahad Burney is also requested with the family members of the berieved families to contact Ansar Burney Trust at Wassiamal Building, Arambagh Road, Karachi or phone number: (021) 32623382, 32623383 or direct to Mr. Ansar Burney on mobile 0300-8243460

Failure to nab perpetrators of Shia killings worries HRCP

Lahore: The recent string of target-killing of Shias in Balochistan and the government’s failure to bring any of the perpetrators to justice is a cause for growing alarm, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Wednesday.

A press statement issued by the Commission said: “The killing of Shia notables in Quetta has sadly become a frequent occurrence. Some of the killings have been owned by an extremist organization flying a religious standard. The number of the Shia community members killed there over the recent years has exceeded 300. The government’s failure to track down the culprits has understandably enraged the targeted community, and it has also emboldened the perpetrators to kill with impunity. Besides religious figures, liberal politicians, businessmen and government officials have been targeted.

The government must surely now know that the community is exasperated with the government’s inability to perform one of its basic functions, that of ensuring that the lives of the people are protected. The Sunni population also fears that unhindered killings of the Shias might cause sectarian strife in an area where the sects have generally coexisted peacefully for centuries.

HRCP fears that the state agencies’ consistent failure to track down the killers may prompt the targeted community to retaliate against members of other sects, which is perhaps the sort of violence those behind the target-killings want to trigger.

The province, which has been in the grip of an insurgency for many years and now faces a growing threat from the Taliban, cannot afford that. The government must act decisively to investigate the killings in an efficient manner before the situation slips into further chaos.”