Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Putting them in prison will not change the ground situation and alienation of the Balochs.

Pakistan ex-MP ‘illegally held’

Mr Mengal is critical of the government’s polices in Balochistan
A former member of Pakistan’s parliament has been held in illegal detention for three months, a political ally says.
Abdur Rauf Mengal is being held in the remote town of Zhob in Pakistan’s southern province of Balochistan, says MP Choudhury Manzur.

Mr Mengal resigned last year in protest after a Baloch rebel leader was killed.

Hundreds of people have been arrested since a rebellion began in the province, human rights groups say.

Choudhury Manzur stated in parliament that Mr Mengal was being held in solitary confinement and not even his immediate family had been allowed to meet him.

Mr Mengal belongs to the Baloch National Party (BNP), and resigned from parliament last year after rebel leader Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed fighting government forces in Balochistan.

**Four senior Pakistan politicians are being held in detention for reasons of political dissent, observers say. Three are from Balochistan. **

The province has been the scene of an insurgency for the last three years which has seen hundreds killed and missing, and thousands displaced, according to rights groups and aid agencies.

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

This is one of the most important & serious issues in Pakistan. Why govt. doesn't understand it. why do they think that keeping someone in detention would resolve it.
I am no fan of Baloch leaders but they represent a reasonable number of people. Govt is bound to listen to them. Why not arranging discussions.

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

I agree unless the dude was engaged in some treason, anti state activities and is being held for that, there is no excuse, and even then atleast his family should have access to him.

I dont know the circumstances, but this is def not something that should be taken lightly.

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

^ Knowing these Baluchi politicians and sardaars, I am pretty sure there is a very good reason the Government had him under custody for questioning.

Also, a little off topic but there is a well known google based community that I am sure alot of you know about. You can find alot of celeberties from Pakistan there, and surprisingly, some journalists and certain 'puttarz' of politicians. I also came across profiles of Bugti's son there (it was him, 100% confirmed) and he was posting alot stuff, as to how he will carry out blasts in Rawalpindi, GHQ etc, as if Pakistan was his jageer to do whatever he likes. I dont believe in giving these idiots a khulli chutti, I saw take them in, and offer a good chitrool to them, so that they learn that they are not above the law, or the state, but sadly, he was already out of the country so this might not be possible. These cowardly people run away from Pakistan and then start acting like 'phaney-khanz'. I wish they come back and then face the music, buzdil log.

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

spockie thats why I said unless there is some anti state activities going on...most likely there was something.

PS; which community, Pm karein zarah

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP ‘illegally held’

Is that like Mush’s threat that Balochis will never know what hit them after he got some shipment of missiles from America?

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Re: Pakistan ex-MP 'illegally held'

I was referring to Altaf Hussain, ofcourse hes innocent, right?

Life1 is new cafe on GS.
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Re: Pakistan ex-MP ‘illegally held’

What the missing people kidnapped by the army has to do with Altaf Hussain only God knows.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\02\16\story_16-2-2007_pg1_2

Find all missing people, SC tells govt

  • AG says Amina Masud’s husband could not be found despite repeated efforts
  • Court adjourns hearing till March 8 on AG’s request

By Mohammad Kamran

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday issued fresh directions to the government to speed up the process of finding missing people.

The case took an unexpected turn when complainant Amina Masud, whose husband is among the missing people, told the court that a human rights lawyer had seen a number of people, including her husband, in the custody of intelligence agencies.

Amina Masud, who is also leading a protest campaign by families of the missing people, said that Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan’s statement that the government was progressing on the case was false, and accused the government of covering up illegal detentions.

The attorney general told the court that Amina’s husband Masud Janjua had not been found in the custody of any intelligence agency. He said that the government had failed to trace Janjua despite repeated efforts.

Amina challenged Khan’s statement and presented in court a reported interview of human rights lawyer CM Farooq who claimed to have seen some of the missing people, including Masud Janjua, Faisal Faraz, Attiqur Rehman, Muhammad Altaf, Hafiz Abdul Basit, Obaidullah, Hafiz Idrees Abbasi and Gul Muhammad, in the detention cells of the intelligence agencies.

CM Farooq had also been taken into custody by the intelligence agencies for supporting the families of the missing people, but was released after two weeks. He had filed an affidavit in the SC, saying that he had seen the missing people in intelligence agencies’ custody.

The attorney general informed the court that he held a meeting at his office on Wednesday, but CM Farooq had refused to attend the meeting, NNI reported.

Amina Masud said that the intelligence agencies had also picked up two persons, Masood and Mudasir, for supporting the families of the missing people.

The attorney general told the SC that computer expert Muhammad Mansoor and businessman Malik Zulfiqar had been detained under the Security of Pakistan Act 1952. They were picked up by the intelligence agencies in March 2005 and June 2006, he added.

He said that Alim Tariq was in the custody of the Punjab police under the Anti-Terrorism Act, while Mittha Khan Marri, Jan Muhammad and Muhammad Saleem Baloch had been freed.

The attorney general sought more time from the SC to find the remaining missing people and the bench adjourned the hearing till March 8.

Rights groups and relatives have been holding protests in Islamabad for months to press authorities to clear up the fate of scores of people reported missing.

Acting on their complaints, the Supreme Court also has criticised the government for not doing enough to trace the men, who have neither been put on trial nor permitted to contact their families.