Mazari assures Senate to take up Shakirullah killing matter at Int’l forum
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ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari assured the Senate that the government of Pakistan would move to a suitable international forum to raise the matter of killing of Shakirullah, a Pakistani prisoner who was stoned to death by other inmates in an Indian jail.
Responding to the point of order raised by senators on killing of Shakirullah and suggesting the government to take up the matter at any international forum, the minister said that the government would not remain silent on the matter and take up this issue. “We want to see most important forum to take up this matter.
We should go to the United Nations as there is a proceeding on human rights in coming days and we will definitely raise this issue there.” The minister said there was also a need to register the case with the Indian government. She said the government had been studying relevant international laws which were applicable besides appropriate international conventions on the subject.
Strongly condemning the issue, she said that the Indian jail authorities allowed the Shakirullah’s inmates in Indian jail to kill him and added that Indian authorities were equally responsible of this inhuman incident. She said, “We were studying best option to go for the relevant forum.”
She said the Indian government must investigate the killing of Shakirullah. She said the government already moved to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kulbhushan Jadhav case while a dossier was being prepared on Indian RAW activities. Earlier, raising the matter in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman said that Pakistani prisoner, who was in the Indian jail for the last 16 years, was badly tortured and asked the government to take up his case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
She said the government must expose the real face of India as Shakirullah was stoned to death during custody of Indian authorities concerned and his protection was a responsibility of the Indian government.
She said the way his dead body was handed over to Pakistan, was also condemnable. She said that there was a need to condemn this incident at all level as he wrongly crossed the India border while many other Pakistani prisoners were still in Indian jails. She said that the death report of Shakirullah was not being shared with Pakistan. She added that during his post-mortem in Pakistan, it was observed that his several internal body parts were missing.
She said that India had handed over his dead body after 11 days. She said that there was need to expresses sympathies with his family members.
Senator Gen (Retd) Abdul Qayum said that international laws should be activated on this matter. He said that India has been continuously violating the international laws and adopted inhuman behavior with Pakistani prisoners in its jails. He said that the matter should be seriously pursued in accordance with UN charter on prisoners and other international laws.
Senator Mushahidullah Khan urged to send dossier on the matter to the Indian government. He said that Muslims were living miserable lives in India and facing threats from extremists. He said Pakistan should inform the international community about tense situation with minorities in India.
He said that Indian agencies were involved in terrorist incidents happened in Pakistan and asked to take up this matter also at international forums.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said that India should be compelled to apology from the Pakistan over the incident. Senator Azam Swati and Senator Suassi Palejo also strongly condemned the killing of Pakistani prisoner in Indian jail and suggested to demand investigation from the India over the matter.
Senator Mustafa Khokhar, Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi talked about legal aspects of the matter and possibilities of legally persuading the case at International Court of Justice and other forums.
APP
