Dec 13, 2016

Sindh: WSC Strongly Condemns Extrajudicial Killing of Human Rights Activist


Photo courtesy of Benny [email protected]

On 10 December 2016, the International Human Rights Day, the tortured and mutilated body of Mr Zakir Hussain Bozdar, a Sindhi human rights activist, was found near a college in the Sindhi town of Ghotki. The Ghotki District President of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM) had been abducted from his home by plain clothed security personnel on 3 December 2016. Reacting to the gruesome event, the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) strongly condemned Pakistan’s disregard for the protection of basic human rights and denounced the government’s systematic attempts to intimidate and silence people – simply for voicing their dissent over Islamabad’s policies.

Below is an article published by the World Sindhi Congress:

Mr. Zakir Hussain Bozdar was abducted on 3 December 2016, from his house in the town of Mirpur Mathelo, district Ghotki, Sindh, by rangers, police, and plain clothed agency personnel. He had been missing since his abduction. His relatives and party members protested and showed concern about his safety and feared that he may become a victim of on-going extra-judicial killings in Sindh.

On 10 December [2016], International Human Rights Day, his tortured body was found near Degree College Ghotki. He was a human rights and political activist and District President of Jeay Sindh Mutahida Mahaz.

“These killings highlight the systematic policy of the security forces to act extra-judicially by killing and maiming activists,” said Dr. Rubina Greenwood, the Chairwoman of World Sindhi Congress.

“These killings on International Human Rights Day show utter disregard of the Pakistani government towards human rights in the country and the obligations under declaration of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),” said Dr. Lakhu Luhana, the General Secretary of World Sindhi Congress.

In their 2015 report, the US State Department has highlighted that “There were reports of alleged kidnapping and killing of individuals in Sindh” and “There were reports of politically motivated killings by political factions or unknown assailants in Sindh.” (Ref: Pakistan 2015 Human Rights Report, 3).

World Sindhi Congress strongly condemns the extrajudicial killing of Sindhi political and human rights activists and demands from the international community and human rights organizations around the world to hold Pakistani security agencies responsible for their state sponsored terrorism and pressure them to stop the killing and dumping operations in Sindh.