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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAM

30 September 2003

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UA-55-2003: PAKISTAN: A 10-year-old boy and his father severely tortured by police officers

PAKISTAN: Severe violation of Child Rights; Illegal arrest; Torture
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Dear friends

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that the police illegally arrested and severely tortured 10-year-old Tasawar Abbas, in order to know the whereabouts of his elder brother even though he did not commit any crime. His father, who was accused of illegally cutting grass from the landlord's field, was also tortured at the police station. It is a brutal human rights violation and the AHRC requests your action to correct this matter immediately.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission
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Name of victim: Tassawar Abbas (10 years old), Pathana Abbas
Period of detention and torture: Around 19 September 2003 (exact date is not confirmed yet)
Perpetrators: Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Muhammad Khan, Constable Ejaz Ahmed from the Qadirpur Police Station

DETAILED INFORMATION:

The arrest and torture of a 10-year-old boy, who committed no crime, occurred at the Qadirpur police station in Jhang District. Around 19 September 2003, police officers from the Qadirpur police station, led by assistant sub inspector (ASI) Muhammad Khan, came to the house of Pathana Abbas, a poor labour, to arrest him and his son Ramzan Abbas. They were suspected of illegally cutting grass from the landlord's farms. However, Ramzan, who works in a Gujranwala woolen mill, was not at home, and so instead the police arrested his 10-year-old younger brother, Tassawar Abbas. Both of them were taken to the Qadirpur police station lock-up.

At midnight, the two were taken to the interrogation room, where ASI Muhammad Khan and Constable Ejaz Ahmed allegedly beat both of the victims in order to find out the whereabouts of Ramzan Abbas. They particularly targeted the 10-year-old boy Tassawar Abbas. The reason for severely torturing the boy rather than his father, as stated by a police station source on condition of anonymity, was that the father was suffering from tuberculosis and the police was reluctant to torture him severely. Relatives of victims asked a local notable to persuade the police to set the boy free. The boy and his father were eventually released.

According to the information received, a human rights NGO in Jhang District is taking care of the victims, and they were presented to the District Police Officer on 25 September 2003. Tasawar and his father were presented shortly before the District Police Officer on 26 September 2003 and the ASI Muhammad Khan, who tortured them, has been suspended. However, the police have not taken any serious action to investigate this case and they have not even registered it.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write a letter or email to the addresses below and express your concern over this serious case. A sample letter is attached.

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: CE@pak.gov.pk

2. Mr. Moinuddin Haider
Minister of Interior
Faisal Saleh Hayat, Ministry of Interior,
Block R, Federal Secretariat, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: 92-51-9202624
Email: minister@interior.gov.pk or secretary@interior.gov

3. Mr. Chaudhary Pervez Elahi
Chief Minister of Punjap State
30-C, Ch. Zahur Elahi Road,
Gulberg-II, Lahore
Punjap State
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 42 9200016 / 9200093

4. Zaman Khan
Complaint Cell
National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Aiwan-i-Jahmoor, 107-Tipu Block
New Garden Town,
Lahore-54600,
PAKISTAN
Telephone: +92 42 583-8341, 586-4994
Fax: +92 42 588-3582
E-mail: zaman@hrcp-web

5. Syed Sultan Shah
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Tel: + 92 51 920 3464
Fax: + 92 51 9203119

6. Home Secretary
Government of Punjap
Tel: +92 42 9211734 or 9211735
Fax: +92 42 9211732

7. Inspector General of the Police, Punjap State
Tel: +92 42 9210062 or 9210063
Fax: +92 42 9211732

8. Central Police Offices (CPO)-I Exchange, Punjap State
Tel: +92 42 9210056 or 9210057
Fax: +92 42 9211732

9. Mr. Theo C. van Boven
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9016
E-mail: secrt.hchr@unog.ch

Suggested letter:

Dear

RE: Illegal arrest and barbaric torture of 10 year-old-boy, Tasawar Abbas, by the police officers from the Qadirpur Police Station

Name of victim: Tassawar Abbas (10 years old), Pathana Abbas
Period of detention and torture: Around 19 September 2003 (exact date is not confirmed yet)
Perpetrators: Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Muhammad Khan, Constable Ejaz Ahmed from the Qadirpur Police Station

I am writing to bring to your attention to the severe torture of 10-year-old boy, Tassawar Abbas and his father Pathana Abbas. The police tortured both of them. They particularly targeted the 10-year-old boy Tassawar Abbas to find out the whereabouts of his elder brother, who was suspected by the police, even though this poor boy commited no crime.

According to the information received, around 19 September 2003, police officers from the Qadirpur police station, led by assistant sub inspector (ASI) Muhammad Khan, came to the house of Pathana Abbas to arrest him and his son Ramzan Abbas. When they could not find Ramzan, instead the police arrested his younger brother, Tassawar Abbas. After they brought the victims to the police station, Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Muhammad Khan and Constable Ejaz Ahmed beat both of victims to find out the whereabouts of Ramzan Abbas. In particular, the 10-year-old Tassawar Abbas was severely tortured by them. Both of them were released but the police have not taken any serious action to correct this matter and they have not even registered it. It is very worried of the police's inaction on this case.

I strongly urge you to conduct immediate and impartial investigation on this serious case and to bring the perpetrators before court as soon as possible. I also urge you to take all possible steps to ensure the victims' security. I further urge the Pakistan government to compensate Tassawar Abbas and his father Pathana Abbas according to international law. The Pakistan government should declare the torture as a 'crime' and take strong and speedy action to eliminate torture, which has been frequently happened at the police station.

Sincerely yours,



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Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)