HRCP slams massacre in Karachi bus attack

Lahore, May 13: The barbaric killing of members of the Ismaili community in a bus attack in Karachi is highly condemnable, but it deserves more than mere words of censure and sympathy from the authorities, the political parties and the civil society, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Commission said: “It is tragic beyond words that once again bands of killers have massacred Pakistan’s daughters and sons, this time from the Ismaili community, and walked away without any apparent difficulty.

“Words of solace, especially from those in authority, sound hollow today because the state has once again failed to ensure the citizens’ right to life, from which all other rights sprout. Anyone claiming that they understand the families’ pain do not, unless they are the unfortunate families of victims of the Peshawar army school attack or countless other callous killings by terrorists.

“To the authorities falls the task of explaining how such an attack was possible without the numerous security and intelligence agencies knowing anything about it or preventing it. They should also say how the National Action Plan or any other mechanism should have and could, in the future, prevent such callous mowing down of people going about their lives. They must explain why measures taken to check terrorism, such as the PPA, resumption of executions, setting up of military courts have failed to act as deterrents as promised by the government. They must also explain how the attackers managed to get their hands on police uniforms and what the security agencies are doing to address that and to address the glut of weapons.

“It should be clear to everyone today that not only will the country not know peace until the extremists, whichever group of killers they belong to, are taken on and brought to justice, but also that Pakistan and extremism simply cannot co-exist.

“Taliban and other band of terrorists continue to cause mayhem and bloodletting across Pakistan. It is imperative that those tasked with securing peoples’ lives pursue their task as single-mindedly.

“The massacre of the Ismaili community members in Karachi is highly condemnable, but it deserves and must get more than words of censure and sympathy not only from the authorities, but also the political parties, the media and the larger civil society.

“HRCP condoles with the bereaved families and shares their outrage. This atrocity demands that those keeping mum over the actions of extremists of various hues break their silence and speak out against hate speech, promotion of violence and all manners of support for the killers. The civil society, including the media and political parties, must no longer remain spectators. They must assume responsibility for ensuring that the authorities are not allowed to forget their obligation to the people of Pakistan, especially to the victims of Wednesday’s attack in Karachi.”

Zohra Yusuf

Chairperson

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 Killing of 46 Ismailis utterly condemnable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AHRC-STM-076-2015
May 13, 2015

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

PAKISTAN: Killing of 46 Ismailis utterly condemnable

Today, persons hailing from the Ismaili community (a branch of Shia Islam) have been attacked while they were travelling on a passenger bus managed and operated by the community. According to media reports, six unidentified assailants on motorbikes opened fire on the bus from all sides, leaving at least 46 dead and 24 injured. Many women including children were aboard the bus during the attack. The bus was overloaded and when it came under attack; leaflets containing militant content were also found at the scene. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) condemns the cowardly incident and mourns with the grieving families.

A view of a pamphlet left by the attackers at the scene of the crime (Photo courtesy, Dawn)

The state of law and order continues to deteriorate despite the military and Pakistan Rangers’ operations and crackdown on militants in Karachi, the port city of Pakistan. This incident is again proof of this fact. On one hand, the crackdown continues to result in brutality, as the law enforcement authorities compete to subject whoever falls into their net to medieval methods of torture. On the other hand, the authorities continue to be utterly unable to protect ordinary members of society going about their daily activities peaceably.

The city of Karachi is thus in a vice like grip today. With a population of 18 million people, the city has been plagued for years by ethnic, sectarian, and political violence. But, the targeting of marginalized groups of society – non-Muslims and non-Sunni Muslims – by ultra-orthodox militants has only increased amidst the brutal military and paramilitary operation. It is obvious that either the strategy of the law enforcement agencies is not working, or the target of the crackdown was never the Taliban offshoots and outfits.

In this case the authorities have left members of the Ismaili community complete defenceless. The Ismailis are the most peaceful and educated of all minority communities in Pakistan.

However, this is not the first time that they have been targeted by Taliban militia. On 2 February 2014, a video was released in which the Agha Khan Foundation, a charitable organization headed by the Aga Khan, the Ismailis’ spiritual leader and a globally renowned philanthropist, was threatened. On August 13 last year, there were twin hand grenade attacks at Jamat Khana, an Ismaili place of worship; this attack killed two and wounded 28 Ismailis.

The Pakistan State and the army appear to be impotent and helpless in the face of Taliban. The Taliban has not been made a target in the Karachi operation, as they are strategic assets and useful non-state actors for those that control the levers of the State to maintain their hold over power. And, thus the Pakistan government continues to engage in and tolerate systematic violation of the freedom of religion.

State complicity and disinterest in the wellbeing of minorities has increased the persecution of beleaguered minority groups such as Shias and Ahmadis,and Hindu and Christians. Muslim sects, mainly Shias, and others like the Hazaras in Balochistan, have become frequent targets of violence for their religious beliefs.

All hate crimes, committed due to ethnic and religious intolerance, have gone unprosecuted and unpunished. The State has failed to implement protection mechanisms, either judicial or executive. Rather the State has used politics of religion as a tool to oppress minority groups. Extremist views have taken hold amongst the masses with encouragement of State actors.

The Constitution of Pakistan has made it obligatory for the state to safeguard the interest of the minority, yet there is a steady rise in religious intolerance and the State’s failure to apprehend the culprits of such hate crimes. Article 2 of ICCPR requires the State to ensure equal enjoyment of all fundamental rights by all its subjects.

The State’s bias against the minority groups stems from the fact that Pakistan, since its inception, has been fighting an ideological battle with itself. The insertion of the objective resolution that termed Pakistan as the “Islamic Republic” has paved the way for many arbitrary and biased laws against minorities such as the blasphemy law.

Poor governance coupled with absence of the rule of law, a collapsing criminal justice system, and all out impunity for those that man the security apparatus has resulted in Pakistan turning increasingly into a totalitarian state.

According to an assessment conducted by Minority Rights Group International (MRG), the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan has reached “critical levels” after having intensified in recent years. The report concludes that the government has done little to stop the mistreatment of minorities, who are systematically denied social and political rights.

The AHRC urges that the State take immediate and effective action to ensure the safety and security of all minority groups who are being targeted for professing a faith different from that of the State religion. It is obligatory upon the State to ensure equal protection and enjoyment of rights by all citizens, regardless of their religious or political beliefs.

The Pakistan government must bring the perpetrators of such acts of terrorism to book, take effective measures to integrate the minorities into the mainstream, and encourage inter-faith and inter-sect harmony.

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 Karachi incident calls for appropriate and immediate action to counter religiously motivated terrorism

PRESS RELEASE

Karachi incident calls for appropriate and immediate action to counter religiously motivated terrorism: CHRE

Centre for Human Rights Education- Pakistan, an organization working to promote religious tolerance and respect of religious diversity has strongly condemned the barbaric attack on the Ismaili community (a group of Shia Muslims) in which at least 46 died and 24 injured including children reportedly.

Mr. Samson Salamat, Director of the Centre for Human Rights Education-Pakistan has expressed solidarity with the Ismaili community and has reiterated the demand for the appropriate measures for the protection of the religious minorities in Pakistan who are constantly under attack.

Mr. Samson Salamat in his statement said that “we have continuously been demanding concrete policy to counter religious extremism and terrorism which is not possible without taking stern action against militant groups and all those individuals and groups who are spreading hatred and biases on the basis of religion and sect which is leading to the bloodshed”.

He further added that “the nation got a hope when the national leadership came up with a long awaited “National Action Plan” after the attack on APS- Peshawar, however we are feeling disappointed today and the whole nation is questioning about the Implementation of “National Action Plan”.

Mr. Samson Salamat added that once again Centre for Human Rights Education- Pakistan and the whole civil society of the country calls upon the government of Pakistan, political leadership and the state institutions responsible for the safety and security of citizens for a greater seriousness to deal with the issue of religious extremism and terrorism.

Centre for Human Rights Education- Pakistan would like once again submit the following demands for immediate action to counter terrorism and religious extremism:

– Those who attacked the Ismaili Community in Karachi should be exposed and brought to justice without any delay.

– There should be stern action against the terrorists and militant outfits wherever they exist without any recognition of good or bad Taliban. The terrorists do not deserve any softness as they are killers of thousands of innocent citizens and should be brought before justice indiscriminately.

– The hideouts and Training Centers of the militant outfits should be targeted where they are training youth for terrorist acts.

– The access of the militant outfits to the educational institutions should be checked and banned.

– The financing of the terrorist groups should be checked strictly and stopped.

– All those individuals who are supporting the militants and terrorists openly or secretly should be held account.

– A very comprehensive border security plan should be formulated to make sure to control the foreign terrorists for entering in Pakistan and using our soil for terrorist activities.

– The ban on hate speech should be implemented in letter and spirit and all those found in spreading hate speech through print or electronic media or through loud speakers should be apprehended.

– Peace cannot be achieved without Deweopanization of the Pakistani society and therefore strong political will and an effective policy for Deweopanization and a very heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of major political stakeholders.

– The syllabus of the educational institutions needs to be thoroughly checked and the material which spreads hate on religious, sectarian or any other basis should be eliminated from the curriculum.

– All those laws which are being misused to instigate people for violence in the society should be revisited.

Naveed Raphael
Press Information Secretary May 13, 2015

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