SOS

FAMILY MEMBERS OF MQM WORKERS EXTRA-JUDICIALLY MURDERED, HARASSED BY THE POLICE IN THE PREMISES OF CITY COURT, KARACHI

Karachi: 5 May 1999

Today, mother and sisters of MQM workers Shameem Ahmed and Fareed Ahmed (extra-judicially executed on 8 March 1999 while in policy custody) went to the city court to testify the circumstances leading the tragic death of the victims to the Judicial Enquiry under the Session Judge Central, Karachi. Judicial Enquiries have been instituted to investigate the cases of the extra-judicial executions in Karachi and other centres of urban Sindh since the imposition of the Governor Rule in Sindh province. A number of extra-judicial executions out of twelve have been certified by these Judicial Enquiries. Immediately on their arrival in the premises of the city court, the personnel of Liaquatabad Police Station, who had followed them in police mobiles, jumped out of their vehicles and encircled them pulling their G3 rifles at their chests. While the police personnel were in the process of unlawful abduction of the victims mother and sisters, the lawyers of the MQM legal aid committee and others present broke open the siege and freed the poor women, who would have been otherwise raped and gang raped in custody of the police, which is systematic and widespread. They could have been even possibly extra-judicially executed after the inhuman tragedy.

The family members were apprehensive about their appearance before the Judicial Enquiry due to the fear of the State reprisal as precedent are available where the witnesses have been traumatised in the past including the witnesses of the "Disappeared" persons. Having endured the ordeal of losing their loved ones as a result of the extra-judicial executions, the family members are being further traumatised and now are unable to live in their homes due to the fear of their abduction by the State. They need security and protection, they need safe refuge, their lives are in danger.