21 February 2000
Mr Bill Clinton
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20500
USA
Dear Mr President
We would like once again to draw your attention
towards the continued violations of human rights by the present
Military Regime in Pakistan. We would also like to appeal for
your urgent intervention to save the life of Dr Farooq Sattar,
Member of MQM Co-ordination Committee, Parliamentary Leader of
the MQM in the Suspended Provincial Assembly of Sindh and former
Mayor of Karachi.
On 21 February 2000, Dr Farooq Sattar who is in the unlawful
detention has been mysteriously transferred to Islamabad. He was
taken to Islamabad on Flight No 306 at 4 pm Pakistan time. The
sudden and unexpected shifting of Dr Farooq Sattar with malicious
intentions by the Military Government strengthens our
apprehensions that his life is in extreme danger. We also fear
that during his unlawful detention in Islamabad he will be
subjected to brutal torture and forced to comply with the demands
of the present Military Government of Pakistan. Dr Farooq Sattar
was to be produced on 22 February 2000, in the Anti Terrorist
Court and was to be charged in fabricated and false cases.
Moreover, the mysterious manner in which he has been shifted
without any prior notice to his lawyers, family members or even
the courts tantamount to slaying of judiciary and denial of his
fundamental, legal and constitutional rights. This sudden and
mysterious shifting of Dr Farooq Sattar clearly illustrates the
policy of the present Military Regime against the Mohajir Nation.
As you may very well be aware that the Authorities, unlawfully
arrested Dr Farooq Sattar, Member of the Co-ordination Committee
of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), its Parliamentary Leader in
the suspended Provincial Assembly of Sindh and former Mayor of
Karachi on Friday, 26 November 1999 soon after, his Press
Conference, at Karachi Press Club. During his Press Conference,
he accounted the details of his reforms financially benefiting
the KMC (Karachi Metropolitan Corporation) and the province while
he was the Minister for Local Bodies during the estranged
coalition government with the PML (Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz
Group). Dr Farooq Sattar was first kept in confinement in the
Cantonment area of Malir under heavy security. On 7 February
2000, he was shifted to a makeshift room (8ft x 6ft) in a
neglected part of a government building. The Authorities did not
even allowed visits by his relatives and his lawyers on a regular
basis.
The present military government has started its operation against
the leaders and elected representatives of the MQM. However, a
similar operation was launched against the Mohajirs and their
sole representative political party, the MQM, on 19 June 1992,
which is continuing to date. During this operation, the entire
institution of the Army was turned against the Mohajirs with the
sole purpose to eliminate them through extra-judicial means.
Since then, thousands of Mohajirs have been extra-judicially
murdered, thousands have been forcibly evicted from their homes
and thousands have been unlawfully arrested and sent to prison on
false and fabricated charges. Despite all the State sponsored
atrocities upon the MQM in particular and the Mohajirs in general,
the Establishment failed to crush the MQM and its support from
the people of urban centres of Sindh.
We strongly apprehend that Dr Farooq Sattar’s life is in
danger. We also fear that he will be physically tortured and
forced to sign a pre-written “confessional statement”
so that the present military regime could once again begin the
“media trial” of the MQM. As you may recall that in the
past, the government has used this horrendous method of
extracting false “confessional statements” from MQM
leaders, elected representatives and workers. They were
ruthlessly tortured and compelled to sign the pre written “confessional
statements”. In 1995, Former Senator Zahid Akhtar of MQM was
similarly unlawfully arrested from Islamabad by the then
government. He was taken to one of the “safe houses”,
brutally tortured while in custody and forced to give a
confessional statement. He never recovered fully from these
wounds. He continued to remain ill and recently died as a result
of the torture inflicted upon him during custody.
Dr Farooq Sattar is a chronic ulcer patient and at present he is
seriously ill due to the treatment meted out upon him. He has
been denied access to medicine, which is most essential for his
survival. He has also been deprived of warm clothing, soap,
toothpaste and any other necessary provisions. Keeping in view
his medical condition and the cold weather of Islamabad, we
strongly fear that his life is in extreme danger.
We request you to use your influence and good offices to impress
upon the present military regime of Pakistan under the Chief
Executive General Parvez Musharraf to stop the continued
atrocities and the violations of basic fundamental,
constitutional and human rights of the MQM leaders, workers and
supporters. We also request you to ask the Chief Executive
General Parvez Musharraf to make every possible effort to save
the life of Dr Farooq Sattar. We would also request you to please
ensure that he is provided with proper medical care, immediately
shifted back to Karachi and all the illegal, false and fabricated
cases registered against him are unconditionally withdrawn and he
is released from unlawful detention.
Yours sincerely
Dr Imran Farooq
Convenor MQM Co-ordination Committee
Copy to:
1- Secretary General, United Nations, New York
2- President, Security Council, UN, New York
3- President, International Court of Justice, The Hague
4- Prime Minister Tony Blair, United Kingdom
5- Chairman, UN Human Rights Commission, Geneva
6- Secretary General, Amnesty International, London
7- Secretary General, OIC, Jeddah
8- Secretary of State, US State Department
9- President, International Committee of the Red Cross
10-The American Ambassador to Pakistan, Islamabad
11- The British High Commission to Pakistan, Islamabad
12- President, European Parliament, Brussels
13- President, Human Rights Watch, New York
MYSTERIOUS SHIFTING
OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR TO ISLAMABAD
Joint Press Conference of
MQM and JSQM for the immediate release of Dr Farooq Sattar
Facilities for Farooq as
per jail manual demanded
ATROCITIES UPON
IMPRISONED MQM LEADER DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Unlawful and Unconstitutional detention
of Dr Farooq Sattar continues...
GOVERNMENT ONCE AGAIN
FAILED TO PRODUCE DR FAROOQ SATTAR IN COURT TODAY
FAROOQ SATTAR NOT
PRODUCED BEFORE COURTS DESPITE STRICT ORDER – DR IMRAN
FAROOQ
CHARGES AGAINST FAROOQ
SATTAR ARE PACK OF LIES --- SENATOR AFTAB AHMED SHIEKH
MY SON IS INNOCENT --
MOTHER OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Imran Farooq pays tribute
to Farooq Sattar on his voluntary arrest
DR FAROOQ SATTAR
VOLUNTARILY PRESENTED HIMSELF FOR ARREST FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
SEVERE RE-ACTIONS OF
PEOPLE REPORTED ON THE ARREST OF DR FAROOQ SATTAR
Combined operation of Army, Rangers and
Police at the residence of Dr. Farooq Sattar