Tuesday, November 30, 2010
HUMAN RIGHTS ALERT: Bakhtiarabad, Balochistan, PAKISTAN: Two Hindu businessmen are kidnapped, whereabouts remain unknown
Issues: Continuing trend of abduction/killing of minority Hindu businesspeople, lack of protection for minorities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Dear Friends,
Several news agencies have reported the ambush/abduction of local businessmen, Mr. Darshan Lal and Mr. Kanhaiya Lal . This occurred on the eve of a United States Religious Freedom Report slamming Pakistan for its lack of protection of its minority population.
Case details: On November 22nd, 2010, armed kidnappers pulled the two traders out of their van and took them to an unknown location. Their whereabouts remain unknown. A search and rescue mission has been undertaken by the government of Pakistan but without any success in locating the traders. This is in an area of Pakistan in which the Taliban and its operatives are known to threaten minorities including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs.
Issues: Continuing trend of abduction/killing of minority Hindu businesspeople, lack of protection for minorities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Dear Friends,
Several news agencies have reported the ambush/abduction of local businessmen, Mr. Darshan Lal and Mr. Kanhaiya Lal . This occurred on the eve of a United States Religious Freedom Report slamming Pakistan for its lack of protection of its minority population.
Case details: On November 22nd, 2010, armed kidnappers pulled the two traders out of their van and took them to an unknown location. Their whereabouts remain unknown. A search and rescue mission has been undertaken by the government of Pakistan but without any success in locating the traders. This is in an area of Pakistan in which the Taliban and its operatives are known to threaten minorities including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs.
Petition Text
Please help us bring kidnappers to justice
Greetings,
It has come to my attention that minority and refugee populations are very threatened in many areas of Pakistan. An excellent example of this is the recent abduction of Mr. Darshan Lal and Mr. Kanhaiya Lal. The daily intimidation and threats of violence are daily facets of life for many minorities living in Pakistan. It should be noted that many of these cases go unreported due to stigma, corruption and poor access to justice, leaving the victims without any help or protection while the perpetrators benefits from impunity. Victims and their families are also threatened not to report the incidents to the police. For example, Mr. Veerji Kolhi, a Hindu human rights worker, was abducted in August 2010 and has not been located to date. Therefore, I urge the Pakistani authorities to:
1. To make all efforts necessary to restore both of the above named to their families
2. To catch the perpetrators responsible for these crimes
3. Increased security measures to protect minorities living in Pakistan
This is the fourth such kidnapping of a Hindu merchant in Balochistan this year. I also understand that in many cases the local authorities have failed to intervene or even acted in collusion with the perpetrators. I urge the Pakistani government and local authorities to catch the perpetrators responsible for this heinous crime and send a message of zero tolerance of abuse towards minorities.
1. To make all efforts necessary to restore both of the above named to their families
2. To catch the perpetrators responsible for these crimes
3. Increased security measures to protect minorities living in Pakistan
This is the fourth such kidnapping of a Hindu merchant in Balochistan this year. I also understand that in many cases the local authorities have failed to intervene or even acted in collusion with the perpetrators. I urge the Pakistani government and local authorities to catch the perpetrators responsible for this heinous crime and send a message of zero tolerance of abuse towards minorities.
[Your name]
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