Bro the guy has helped thousands of Pakistanis! And you’ve just decided to forget all that and accuse him of only helping Indians? Come on bro, dont be so short sighted!
Afghan govt urged to let prisoners have access to legal aides
Saturday, July 26, 2008
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE
Ansar Burney, former federal minister for human rights, on Friday requested the Afghan and the United States Embassies at Islamabad to allow Ansar Burney Trust members to visit Bagram detention centre in Afghanistan in an effort to locate the missing and illegally detained Pakistanis.
In letters to the United States and Afghan ambassadors at Islamabad, Ansar Burney requested that lawyers of his organization be allowed to visit Bagram Jail to find and meet such unfortunate prisoners on humanitarian grounds.
The Ansar Burney Trust, which visits prisons and detention centres almost all over the world to lobby for the improvement of prisoners rights, jail conditions and provide legal and financial assistance to the wrongfully imprisoned prisoners, has received reports over the past year that many Pakistani nationals who had been illegally abducted from their homes and imprisoned without a trial, have ended up in Bagram.
One such case is that of Dr Afia Siddiqui, a lady who was arrested with her three young children in 2003 for suspected links to Al-Qaeda. Since then, it is reported that she has been detained in Bagram detention centre with male prisoners, where she has been sexually abused and tortured to the point of losing her mental balance.
The Trust has also been contacted by family members of dozens of other Pakistani prisoners lodged illegally in Bagram without a trial.
However, in fear of further persecution, they have requested for complete confidentiality in their cases.
Ansar Burney, chairman of the Trust, requested the Afghan and the US governments to allow him and other Trust lawyers to visit the prisoners in Afghanistan as their legal aides appointed by their families.
Afghan govt urged to let prisoners have access to legal aides
Two Pakistanis illegally arrested in Afghanistan: Burney
ISLAMABAD ( 2008-07-26 20:51:38 ) :Former Federal Minister for Human Rights and Chairman of the Ansar Burney Trust, Ansar Burney has strongly condemned the arrest of two innocent men in Kabul on 2nd July 08 due only to their Pakistani nationality; and demanded that they be immediately released.
According to information received by the Ansar Burney Trust from Kabul, the **two Pakistani men named Syed Furqan Shah and Mohammad Inam Ullah were working as employees at the 5 stars Safi Landmark Hotel in Kabul when Afghan Security Police arrested them.
Ansar Burney said no reason for their arrest was provided, except that they were Pakistani nationals and looked suspicious.
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Burney further said the arrest took place at 11am on the 2nd of July, at the Safi Landmark Hotel where Syed Furqan Shah was fulfilling his duties as General Manager and Mohammad Inam Ullah as Manager of the hotel.
Ansar Burney Trust, which has already established contact with family members, has demanded with Afghan Government that reasons for the arrest of these two Pakistanis be provided immediately.
He also senior lawyer has already written to the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, demanding that the Afghan Government provide a list of all Pakistanis being held in Afghanistan; while the Trust has sought permission from the United States and Afghan Governments to be allowed Ansar Burney Trust team to visit Bagram Prison in search of missing and illegally detained Pakistanis and other nationals.
On Saturday, Ansar Burney wrote once again to the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad demanding that reasons for the arrest of these two Pakistanis be provided, along with a list of all Pakistanis being held in Afghan Prisons.
Burney in his letter stated that unless this information was provided, he would raise this issue of illegal arrest and detention of persons based on their nationality at the international platforms.
The Ansar Burney Trust has also appealed to the Pakistani government to take interest in the illegal arrest and detention of Pakistanis all over the world.