—Demand recovery of Punhal Sariyo in a presser

KARACHI: Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) on Friday demanded the Sindh government to ensure the safety of all citizens along with the recovery of all missing persons, including Punhal Sariyo.

While addressing a joint press conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday, Mahnaz Rahman of Aurat Foundation; Asad Iqbal Butt of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan; Saeed Baloch of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum; Zulfiqar Shah of PILER; and Khadim Ali Kaka announced to launch a nationwide campaign for the release of Punhal Sariyo after Ashura.

“We will hold demonstrations, press conferences and meeting with political leaders for the release of the missing persons in Sindh,” they said.

In recent months, a large number of political and social workers and human rights defenders have been allegedly picked up by the law enforcement agencies along with local police.

Sariyo, who was also disappeared, was struggling for the release of the missing persons in the province. It’s been over a month but there is still no information about Sariyo’s whereabouts; his family is in distress as his only son is admitted in a hospital in Hyderabad and had recently suffered a heart attack. The Hyderabad police deny arrest of Sariyo, whereas the eye-witnesses confirmed that he was picked up by plain-clothe personnel of the law enforcement agencies in a vehicle bearing Sindh police number plate.

They pointed out that in a similar manner, over 80 political workers and HR defenders were picked up in August. “We demand the federal and Sindh governments for ensuring safe recovery of all those persons. If they are required in any case, they can be produced in a court. A fair trial is the fundamental right of every citizen according to the Pakistani constitution. However, this right has been denied in the case of Punhal and others.

“We are very much concerned about the life of Punhal Saryo as he was suffering from various illnesses and we believe that Punhal is a committed human rights defender and a social activist who has always stood for the marginalised people and peasants of Sindh,” concluded Zulfiqar.