The spokesman of the Karachi Police is wrong in stating that at the time of the extra-judicial execution of Fasih Ahmed, MQM was an equal partner in the Sindh coalition government

PRESS NOTE OF THE KARACHI POLICE IS BLATANT LIE AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS AN ACT OF HIGH TREASON -- MQM CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE

Karachi -- 6 May 1999

The Members of the MQM Central Co-ordination Committee have strongly condemned the official press note of the police spokesman issued over the extra-judicial murder of Fasih Ahmed. The Co-ordination Committee said that the comments of the police spokesman over the murder of Fasih Ahmed after the judicial inquiry report should be construed as contempt of court and be treated as an act of high treason. The MQM Co-ordination Committee Members demanded from the President, Chief of Army Staff, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court and other relevant authorities to take serious notice of the official version of the Karachi police, take appropriate actions, apprehend the culprits and award them exemplary punishments.

Commenting on the police press note the Members of the MQM Co-ordination Committee said that the spokesman of the Karachi Police blatantly lied and misguided by stating that at the time of the extra-judicial execution of Fasih Ahmed, MQM was an equal partner in the Sindh coalition government. Fasih Ahmed Jugnu was murdered in Police custody on 23 October 1998 through brutal torture after refusing to confess and sign a pre-written statement of the police based on concoction and fabrication admitting the murder of Hakim Saeed. First time, the MQM almost came out of the coalition government in July 1998 and rejoined on the guarantees of the ruling party, the PML, that all State orchestrated killings of the MQM workers will cease and its ministers would be given the due authorities to discharge their duties in accordance with the democratic norms and rules of the governance. The ruling PML failed, once again, to honour its commitments and promises. The MQM, in protest of the on-going killings of its workers and supporters in the city, first quit the federal cabinet on 14 August 1998, and then on 26 August 1998 it came out of the provincial cabinet and it was not until 24 October 1998 that the MQM decided once again to join the coalition government in Sindh upon the reassurances that the ruling party will honour its commitments and fulfil the agreement in its entirety. But the killing of Hakim Saeed on 17 October 1998, and false implication of the MQM workers in this State orchestrated killings sent the signal to the MQM that the ruling party is neither serious in its commitments nor has the desire to control the law and order but precipitate it instead. The MQM in protest, once again, resigned from the Sindh government over the continued killings of its workers and supporters, particularly of Fasih Ahmed Jugnu. It is important to note that on 24 October, the MQM had rejoined the coalition government and the Governor Rule was imposed on 30^th October 1998 and therefore, it is evident that the MQM was only symbolically in the Government and not effectively for a few days during which the entire provincial machinery was made paralysed and non functional including its Chief Minister by the Police on the expressed instructions of the Federal Government. It is, therefore, absurd and factually incorrect on the part of the Karachi police to say that Muttahida was a coalition partner at the time of the custodial death of Fasih Ahmed Jugnu.

The MQM Co-ordination Committee further added that commenting on the extra-judicial murder of Fasih Ahmed Jugnu while in police custody, US State Department Report 1998 states, "One MQM activist died in police custody in October, apparently as a result of beatings, and another was injured in custody". Despite the Judicial Inquiry Report of the DC Central there are several other national as well as international reports of human rights organisations and the UN bodies confirming that the death of Fasih Ahmed was a result of inhuman and barbaric torture inflicted upon him by the police. Most recently, Sir Nigel S. Rodley, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Detention, in his report of 12 January 1999, submitted to the 55^th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights while commenting on the murder of Fasih Jugnu clearly stated, "He was reportedly severely tortured by the police on the day of his arrest and is believed to have died from the injuries he sustained."

The Co-ordination Committee stated that with nothing concrete against the MQM, the police spokesman goes on quoting the US State Department Report 1998, but deliberately left out the most serious allegations levelled by the US State Department against the police and the security forces in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi. For example while commenting on the serious human rights abuses e.g. like extra-judicial killings, torture and rapes, the Report states, "While the officers responsible for such abuses sometimes were transferred or suspended for their actions, there is no evidence that any police officers were brought to justice. In general, police continued to commit serious abuses with impunity". The Report further says, "…killings also were believed to have been committed by or with the participation of security forces". Several other comments on the poor and biased performance of the police have been made in the Report. US State Department further adds, "Overall, police and security forces remained free from legal and judicial restraint in Sindh".

The Members of the MQM Co-ordination Committee strongly condemned the act of the Karachi police department to portray Mr. Shoaib Bukhari as a criminal. They said that the spokesman of the Sindh police have quoted the US State Department Report 1998, which means that they are in agreement with the findings of that Report. Therefore, what does the police spokesman had to say in reply to the findings of the US State Department with respect to the arrest of Mr. Shoaib Bukhari in November 1998? The US State Department Report strongly criticised the action and stated, "On November 21, two MQM Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) were arrested for arms possessions during a raid on the MQM office in Karachi. During questioning, police beat one of the MPAs, whose eye showed the effects of a severe blow in a newspaper photograph. Police claims that he was resisting arrest were weakened by the fact that the MPA involved is an underweight, older man in poor health."

Members of the MQM Co-ordination Committee said that holding of press conferences and right to expression of opinion is one of the fundamental rights provided to every citizen in the Constitution of Pakistan. Questioning this right by the spokesman of the police is tantamount to violating and disobeying the Constitution of the country leading to High Treason and should be treated as violation of the Constitution of Pakistan. It is high time that members of the public have full knowledge and judiciary takes action against the police involvement in extra-judicial killings, torture, rapes and corruption of the most obscene kind. Are they a preferential race who is exempt from the rules of law and the constitution of Pakistan, they asked? Therefore, it is demanded that all the culprits involved should be apprehended and awarded with exemplary punishment.