BRUTAL MURDER OF KAUSAR KHATOON, SISTER OF MQM WORKER SALEEM, BY THE PERSONNEL OF CIA POLICE IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN

 

Karachi -- 23 November 2000

 

The personnel of Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) West Police murdered Ms Kausar Khatoon, sister of Mr Saleem, an MQM worker of Unit 18, Sector Lyari in Karachi, Pakistan.  This brutal murder warrants the immediate attention of the international community and the human rights organisations towards the massive violations of human rights and total disregard to the right of life of the people of urban centres of Sindh, particularly Mohajirs.

 

According to details, on 23 November 2000, at around 11 p.m., two armed robbers entered into the house of Ms Kausar Khatoon in Lyari, Karachi.  Nadeem, the nephew of Ms Kausar Khatoon, who was present in the house, immediately saw them and screamed for help.  The armed robbers shot Nadeem in the leg.  Upon hearing the gunshots and screams of Nadeem, Ms Kausar Khatoon tried to escape but was spotted and shot upon resulting in her death.  As a result of gunfire and screaming, the area residents immediately came for help and with a joint effort seized the culprits. 

 

Astoundingly, a CIA West Police mobile van with five personnel of CIA West Police was parked near the house, did not came to the rescue of Ms Khatoon, however, they immediately came into action and took away the two culprits from the area residents and arrested them.  All the area residents recognised the two robbers as policemen belonging to the CIA West Police and were taken to the police station.  To cover this incident, the police are conspiring to twist the case into a “police encounter” so that the police personnel responsible for this murder couldn’t be charged for murder.  Moreover, Nadeem who is the only eyewitness of this tragic event is already receiving threats not to disclose the identities of the murderers.  The personnel of CIA West Police also arrested Mr Naeem and Mr Kashif, the brother and nephew of Ms Khatoon.  They were immediately taken away in the mobile van and subjected to inhuman torture. 

 

It is abundantly clear that the police personnel planned to rob the house of Ms Kausar Khatoon as they knew very well that she was a widow and lived alone.  They were not expecting her nephew to be there.  Two policemen in civilian clothes entered the house, while the others waited outside in the police van to provide them protection.  Such incidents of highhandedness of the police personnel have become a daily routine matter.  Billions of rupees are being extorted as bribes from the citizens of Karachi and other urban centres of Sindh by the Punjabi police personnel, which have been deployed in Karachi for this very purpose. 

 

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is the third largest political party of Pakistan and the second largest in the province of Sindh.  Since the commencement of the Army Operation on 19 June 1992, against the MQM, more than 15000 MQM leaders, workers and supporters have been extra-judicially murdered, thousands are languishing in prison on false and fabricated charges, dozens have been awarded death sentences, more than 28 workers are reported missing after being unlawfully arrested, thousands of families have been displaced from their homes and thousands of workers and supporters have been forced to leave the country and are living in exile.