Persecution of Muhajirs

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Persecution of Muhajirs or Human rights abuses against Muhajirs or Anti-Muhajir sentiment ranges from discrimination, mass killings, forced disappearances and torture, to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech of Muhajirs, mainly those belonging to the right wing party Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan.

History

According to Amnesty International, extrajudicial executions of

Muhajirs is not a new phenomenon. It began in 1992 during an operation against MQM.[2]

1992-94

From 1992 to 1994, the

Muhajir were subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, extrajudicial execution, beatings, torture, extortion and other ill-treatment.[4][9]

1994-96

During tenure of Benazir Bhutto, interior minister General Naseerullah Babar conducted second operation against MQM between 1994 and 1996.[10] On 5 September 1995, 8 MQM supporters were killed and 11 were injured when security forces attacked what the MQM billed as a peaceful protest against abuses by security forces against MQM women workers.[11] Due to serious doubts over credibility of operation due to fake encounters, extra judicial killings and rise of killings in Karachi,[12] Benazir Bhutto's government was dismissed by the then President of Pakistan, Farooq Ahmed Laghari.[13]

Extrajudicial killing of Farooq Dada

On 2 August, Farooq Patni, alias Farooq Dada, and three other MQM workers, Javed Michael, Ghaffar Mada and Hanif Turk, were shot dead by police in an alleged armed "encounter" near the airport when, according to police, they failed to stop and opened fire on the police.[1] Family members, however, claimed that the men had earlier been arrested from their homes. Moreover, another MQM worker, Mohammad Altaf, arrested later on the same day was reportedly identified by Farooq Dada and his three companions when they were brought to Altaf's house by police to help identify him. Witnesses were reported to have seen the four MQM workers at the time of Altaf's arrest; they were at that time reportedly held in shackles.[1]

2015-16 operations

In 2015, a senior policeman, who declined to be named, put the figure of deaths of MQM workers at 1,000, saying a majority of the deaths were extrajudicial killings.[14] Three other serving officials confirmed the assessment.[14] In 2015, the HRCP expressed concern over the rise in extrajudicial killings and lack of transparency about the number of MQM activists picked up or later let off.[15] During Nine Zero raid, MQM worker Waqas Shah was brutally shot down by Ranger's 9mm pistol fire from point blank range. The video evidence released on electronic media confirmed the incident.[16] Farooq Sattar's coordination officer Syed Aftab Ahmed was killed while in the custody of paramilitary forces. Initially the force denied torture and stated that he died of heart attack but it had to accept after social media publicized videos of torture marks on Aftab's body and autopsy report conforming death due to torture.[17][18][19] During the raid on Nine Zero, Syed Waqas Ali Shah was shot by rangers, “Don’t misbehave with the women,” were said to be the 25-year-old Shah's last words to Rangers personnel, who according to eye-witnesses accounts were shoving and pushing women protesting outside the MQM headquarters.[20] As a result of operation, MQM claims 67 of its workers have been extra judicially murdered the paramilitary force while 150 are still missing and more than 5,000 are behind bars. The Amnesty International, US state department, United Nations Human rights commission has published several documents highlighting gross human rights violations during the targeted operation against MQM.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]

Incidents

Qasba Aligarh Massacre

Main article: Qasba Aligarh massacre

The Qasba–Aligarh massacre was a massacre that happened when recently settled armed tribal

Muhajirs like Biharis who had been freshly repatriated from Bangladesh.[32]

Pucca Qila Massacre

On 27 May 1990,

Muhajirs protested at this treatment and fighting broke out. In what has become known as 'the Pucca Qila massacre'. More than 250 women and children were killed, leading to retaliations in Karachi and elsewhere and over 300 more deaths.[33]

1988 Hyderabad Massacre

Main article:
1988 Hyderabad Massacre

The 1988 Hyderabad massacre, also known as Black Friday was the coordinated massacre of more than 250

Muhajir civilians in Hyderabad, Sindh near Hyderabad cantt on September 30, 1988.[34] Identified gunmen, led by Sindhi nationalist and terrorist Qadir Magsi, opened fire on a large unarmed crowd. Sindhi nationalists, including Qadir Magsi, and the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, were widely seen as responsible for the massacre.[35]

Protests

Protest at UN Headquarters

Muhajirs from Pakistan held a peaceful demonstration in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York against the alleged human rights violations in the country.[36] Displaying placards and banners calling the Pakistan Army generals "war criminals". The protest was organised by the United States wing of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The protestors claimed that thousands of innocent people of their community have been killed in Pakistan over the last three decades and several thousands have been held under illegal captivity without a trial.[36]

Protests in United States

2014

MQM America has staged a protest demonstration, on February 20, 2014, over the extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of MQM’s workers in Karachi. Junaid Fehmi, Central Organizer America, Joint Organizers Muhammad Arshad Hussain and Nadeem Siddiqui and members of central committee, in-charges and office bearers of different wings and a large number of Muhajirs participated the protest demonstration.[37] They came to take part in the demonstration despite severe cold and snowing.

2020

Muhajir Province and Baluchistan. The demonstration was attended by a large number of Urdu-speaking Muhajirs.[38]

Protests in Canada

2022

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Canada Toronto Chapter held a protest in Mississauga against the state brutalities in Pakistan.[39] They protested against the burning of the MQM head office and parental residence of MQM founder leader Altaf Hussain in Azizabad, Karachi known as “Nine Zero” by paramilitary Rangers, the extrajudicial killing of its workers and the illegal arrest of former MNA Nisar Panhwar. The protesters carried pictures of MQM founder leader Mr. Altaf Hussain, former MNA Nisar Ahmed Panhwar and MQM flags. They carried placards against the burning of MQM leader Mr. Altaf Hussain's residence and MQM center known as Nine Zero, and extra-judicial killings of MQM activists, with words of condemnation written on them. The protestors continued to express their feelings by raising slogans against the state atrocities on MQM workers and Mohajirs in Pakistan from time to time.[40]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Pakistan: Human rights crisis in Karachi". Amnesty International. 1 February 1996. Archived from the original on 4 November 2006. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  2. ^ "Extrajudicial killings: not a new thing in Karachi". Daily Times. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  3. ^ "Pakistan: Treatment of Mohajirs (Urdu-speaking Muslims who fled to Pakistan from India following the 1947 partition of the sub-continent) by the general population, particularly in Lahore and Islamabad; whether there is an internal flight alternative for Mohajirs in Pakistan, aside from Karachi (1998-August 2003)". Refworld. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  4. ^ a b c "THE MOHAJIR QAUMI MOVEMENT (MQM) IN KARACHI JANUARY 1995-APRIL 1996". Refworld. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  5. ^ "question-and-answer-seriessrie-questions-et-rponses-pakistan-the-mohajir-qaumi-movement-mqm-in-karachi-jan-1995apr-1996-nov-1996-53-pp". Human Rights Documents online. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  6. ^ "KARACHI: Families of 'missing' MQM workers still hopeful". Dawn. 22 Feb 2010. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010.
  7. JSTOR 2645723
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  8. JSTOR 2645632
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  9. ^ "Karachi hit". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  10. ^ "Major's kidnapping, Jinnahpur, 1992, 1994 anti-MQM operations". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  11. ^ "Eight killed". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  12. ISBN 9788124100837
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  13. ^ "Benazir violated rules: Leghari". DAWN.COM. 2003-12-28. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
  14. ^ a b "Extrajudicial killings rise in police crackdown in Karachi". ARY NEWS. Reuters. 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  15. ^ Baloch, Saher (2015-12-28). "HRCP concerned over extrajudicial killings in Karachi". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  16. ^ S.I.M (2015-03-11), Who Killed MQM Worker Waqas Shah, retrieved 2017-01-01
  17. ^ "40pc of Aftab Ahmed's body covered in bruises, reveals postmortem". DAWN.COM. 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  18. ^ "Autopsy report confirms Aftab tortured". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  19. ^ "Pakistan: Investigation crucial after Karachi political activist tortured and killed in custody". Refworld. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  20. ^ "Profile: Waqas Ali Shah left home for Nine Zero, never to return". The Express Tribune. 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  21. ^ "Document". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  22. ^ "Document". www.amnesty.org. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  23. ^ "Human Rights group alarmed at extra-judicial killings of MQM workers' by para-military force in Pakistan". OpEdNews. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  24. ^ "BBC Urdu Sairbeen (Aaj News) Report on extra judicial killing & enforced disappearance of MQM workers — Video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  25. ^ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015". www.state.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  26. ^ "UN notified Pakistani state 3 times for 144 missing MQM workers: UN Human Rights letter". Siasat.pk Forums. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  27. ^ Wolf, Lucien (Sep 2015). "Pakistan Passes illegal bill" (PDF). kcwtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 17 Sep 2015.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "UN has acknowledged the occurrence of extra judicial target killing, enforced disappearance of MQM by Pakistani govt and pakistani army, ISI". Siasat.pk Forums. Archived from the original on 2017-01-02. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  29. ^ "Extrajudicial killings rise in Pakistan police crackdown in Karachi". Reuters. 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
  30. ^ a b Shafique, Khurram Ali (ed.). "1986: Orangi killings". The Chronicle of Pakistan. Republic of Rumi. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013.
  31. JSTOR 2645065
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  32. ^ Gayer 2003, p. 7: "Approximately 250,000 of the estimated 1.5 million Pashtuns of Karachi were living in Orangi."
  33. ^ "What was the pucca qila massacre 1990?". Answers. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  34. ^ Ethnic Rioting in Karachi Kills 46 and Injures 50 The New York Times, October 2, 1988
  35. ^ "The Black Friday - 30 September 1988 Hyderabad | PDF | Murder | Crime & Violence". Scribd. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  36. ^ a b "Mujahirs hold peaceful demonstrations at UN headquarters against human rights violations in Pakistan". Firstpost. 2017-09-24. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  37. ^ "MQM America protests over the extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of MQM's workers in Karachi". www.mqm.org. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  38. ^ "MQM, USA stages protest in Washington, DC against Illegal occupation of Sindh islands". www.mqm.org. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  39. ^ MOMANYI, BERNARD (2022-10-13). "MQM Canada holds protest against state brutalities in Pakistan » Capital News". Capital News. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  40. ^ "MQM Canada Toronto Chapter held a Protest demonstration against the set ablaze of MQM center Nine Zero, extrajudicial killing of workers and illegal arrest of former MNA Nisar Panhwar". www.mqm.org. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
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