PAK 001 / 0517 / OBS 057
Physical
assault /
Harassment
Pakistan
May 19, 2017
The
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH
and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent
intervention in the following situation in Pakistan.
Description
of the situation:
The
Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the gunshot attack
against human rights defender Mr. Imran
Anjum, the founder and Executive Director of Peaceful & Active Center
for Humanity (PEACH)[1].
Over the past 12 years, Mr. Anjum has advocated for the defence of bonded
labourers in the brick-kiln sector of Pakistan, and is presently focusing on
the rights of bonded labourers in Punjab.
According to
the information received, on May 8, 2017, at around 8 pm, two unidentified
masked men broke into Mr. Imran Anjum’s house in Habib Town, Sahiwal, and
opened fire on him. Mr. Imran Anjum was shot twice. Chased by the neighbours,
the unidentified men managed to escape. This shooting happened in a context of
continued threats and acts of harassment against Mr. Imran Anjum for his work
as a human rights defender, namely regarding labour rights (See background
information).
A few days
before this incident, on May 4, 2017, Mr. Imran Anjum and his co-workers had
held a demonstration demanding justice for Mr. Mashal Khan, a 23-year-old
Pashtun and Muslim student at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan, who
was killed by a vigilante mob in the University’s premises on April 13, 2017[2].
At the end of the demonstration, Mr. Imran Anjum was followed up to his home by
two unidentified men on motorbikes.
On
May 8, 2017, Mr. Anjum submitted an application with the Farid Town Police
Station, district of Sahiwal, to register both a complaint and a First
Information Report (FIR). Although his complaint was successfully registered on
May 12, 2017, Mr. Anjum is still waiting for the registration of the FIR as
well as adequate investigations and protection measures.
The
Observatory strongly condemns the above-mentioned attack against Mr. Imran
Anjum, and calls for a prompt, effective, transparent, and impartial
investigation into those events. The Observatory more generally urges the Pakistani
authorities to guarantee in all circumstances his physical and psychological
integrity.
Background
information:
This
is not the first time Mr. Anjum has been attacked in relation to his human
rights activities. On May 20, 2016, a group of brick kiln owners displayed
banners around the city of Gojra, Punjab State, calling him 'a blasphemer' and
demanding his execution.
These
threats followed an attack on May 9, 2016, when Mr. Imran Anjum, along with two
of his colleagues, was travelling home to Sahiwal from a conference in Gojra
devoted to the protection of the rights of brick kiln workers. Two men on
motorbikes chased his car, forcibly stopped him, dragged him and his colleagues
out of the vehicle, and threatened them with death if they did not stop their
labour rights work or if they went back to Gojra. On that same day, Mr. Anjum
filed a complaint with the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Gojra, requesting
to register an FIR and open an investigation into that attack. However, police
did not take any action.
On May 16,
2012, along with other four human rights defenders, Mr. Imran Anjum was beaten
at Arifwala Tehsil court premises by Iftikhar Mahar, a kiln owner, and his
lawyers, while defending the rights of brick kiln workers. On May 31, 2012, Mr.
Imran Anjum was convicted on charges of “attempted murder” and “blasphemy”
registered by the brick kiln owners in Arifwala City of Pakpattan District. He
spent 45 days in detention.
Actions
requested:
Please write
to the authorities of Pakistan asking them to:
i. Undertake a thorough, impartial, and
transparent criminal investigation into the threats and assault against Mr.
Imran Anjum in order to identify those responsible, bring them before a
competent and impartial tribunal, and apply the sanctions provided by law;
ii. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and
psychological integrity of Mr. Imran Anjum and all
human rights defenders in Pakistan;
iii. Put an
end to all acts of harassment - including at the judicial level - against Mr.
Imran Anjum and all human rights defenders in Pakistan, and ensure in all
circumstances that they are able to carry out their activities without
hindrances;
iv. Comply
with all the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1998, in
particular with its Articles 1 and 12.2;
v. Ensure in
all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in
accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses:
• Mr
Mamnoon Hussain, President of Pakistan; Fax: +92 51 920 8479; Email: secretary@president.gov.pk
• Mr.
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan; Fax: +92 51 922 0404; Email:
info@pmo.gov.pk
• Mr.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Interior Minister of Pakistan; Fax: +92 51 920 2624;
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
• Ambassador
Farukh Amil, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva,
Switzerland; Fax: +41 22 734 80 85; Email: mission.pakistan@ties.itu.int
Please also
write to the diplomatic representations of Pakistan in your respective
countries.
***
Paris-Geneva,
May 19, 2017
Kindly
inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your
reply.
The
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was
created in 1997 by FIDH and OMCT. The objective of this programme is to prevent
or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and
OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights
Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.
To contact
the Observatory, call the emergency line:
• E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
• Tel and fax FIDH + 33 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
• Tel
and fax OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29
[1]
PEACH is a
non-governmental organisation working on the social and economic development of
some of the most disadvantaged communities in Pakistan. Mr. Imran Anjum is
directly involved in the provision of legal aid to people from these
communities and advocacy on the rights of bonded labourers, including working
children and brick kiln workers.
[2]
Mr. Khan was killed by an angry mob over fake allegations of posting
blasphemous content online.
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