Another Life in Danger in Pakistan

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest". -- Elie Wiesel

In a country where the power virtually flows from the barrel of a gun, the military dictatorship is in vogue, the accountability is an unknown commodity and the judiciary is the weakest link, it is so easy for the security agencies to ‘kill’ or ‘terminate’ any one. Just declare him agent of a neighboring country, a terrorist or a dacoit and shoot him in daylight. No one will even point a finger at any one. Some would even applaud. That’s the level the things have degenerated to in Pakistan.

It is even easier to do so in Sindh and Balochistan – the two provinces subjugated to the worst colonial rule since 1947. One reads in papers so frequently of arrests, torture and disappearance of many activists in the two provinces. An activist Samiullah Kalhoro was arrested recently. He was severely tortured while under police custody. He succumbed to his injuries. No accountability. Nothing.

When I was in Sindh recently on account of holding a Convention of our organization (SANA), several people met me and told me of their family members that have been arrested by police or secret agencies and they don’t know of their whereabouts. "Please do something for him", would be their plea. Unknown fear and apprehension writ large on their face.

Similar outrageous action was carried out in Tando Bahawal where 9 farmers were kidnapped by military personnel under the command of Captain Arshad and later killed. They were declared dacoits and RAW agents. When the truth came out through heroic efforts of Mai Jindo, an elder in the family, and the media men, the government had to retract, apologize and concede that they were innocent people and that the major and his accomplices had killed them to help his (Captain’s) feudal friends to grab the poor men’s land.

Even after that ‘confession’ the log-jammed wheels of justice and the administration didn’t turn. Two of Mai Jindo’s daughters had to self-immolate to get partial justice. When I visited Mai Jindo to present her SANA Award (and a little financial help) for her bravery and steadfastness, she wept and cried and recounted the story of the sufferings of her kith and kin and said she would burn her self to death too as no justice was being done to her even after the lapse of so many years.

I appeal the world conscience to pay attention to Mai Jindo’s ordeal and help her get justice. But I am also writing these lines today to draw your attention to the case of a political activist who has been arrested by security agencies in Karachi. It is the case of Dr Safdar Sarki. He is general secretary of Jeay Sindh Mahaz and former Chairman of London based World Sindhi Congress.

Plain-clothes security personnel arrested him from his relative’s flat in Karachi on February 23rd. Eyewitnesses have said that Dr Sarki was severely beaten while being arrested. He was taken away blind-folded to an unknown location.

Dr Sarki’s brother and other relatives have expressed serious apprehensions that his life is in real danger. The police and the agencies have not disclosed his whereabouts. I appeal to the human rights activists, media men, political activists and all the readers to please act in this case and force the government to immediately release the gentleman. If there is any charge sheet against him, it should be brought into an open court and he must be given full rights to defend himself.

If we didn’t act in time, another life may be lost and we may never be able to forgive ourselves.

"All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing". -- Edmund Burke