Annual Report 2012 CENTRE for LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT (CLAAS)
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1 Annual Report CLAAS 2012 Edited & Complied by: Ms. Katherine Sapna (Deputy National Director/Program Officer) Ms. Rama Rasheed (Assistant Program Officer) Printed by: HOPE TIME PRINTERS 2 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT Annual Report 2012 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT (CLAAS) CLAAS-PAKISTAN 31-Katcha Ferozepur Road, Mozang Chungi Lahore, Pakistan Phone: 0092-42-37581720 Fax: 0092-42-37591571 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.claasfamily.com CLAAS-UK P.O Box 81, Southall Middlesex UB2 5 YQ United Kingdom Tel: 0044-0845 3670567 0044-0208 8611253 E-mail: [email protected] Web-Site: www.claas.org.uk 3 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT CLAAS BOARD in 2012 CLAAS has a Board consisting of 09 members from different walks of life but share similar concerns of the promotion of human rights. CLAAS Board Chairman National Director +Most Rev. Dr. Andrew M. A. Joseph Francis MBE Francis Bishop of Multan Vice Chairman Rt. Rev. Samuel Robert Azraiah Treasurer Younis Rahi Rev. Fr. Inayat Bernard Mr. Amjad Saleem Minhas Mrs. Resha Qadir Mrs. Lesley Azad Mrs. Javaid William Bakhsh Marshall 4 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT List of CLAAS Staff Members in the year 2012 1. Mr. M.A Joseph Francis MBE, National Director 2. Ms. Katherine Sapna, Deputy National Director/Program Officer 3. Mr. Sohail Habel, Finance Manager 4. Ms. Neelam Uzma, Assistant Finance Manager 5. Mr. Joel Samuel, Internal Auditor 6. Mr. Nadeem Anthony Advocate, Research officer (Left in December 2012) 7. Ms. Rama Rasheed, Assistant Program Officer 8. Ms. Huma Lucas, Office Assistant 9. Mr. Asher Sarfraz, Field Officer 10. Mr. Asif Raza, Assistant Field Officer 11. Ms. Rubina Ghazal, In-Charge Legal Department 12. Mr. Johnson Sohail, Receptionist 13. Mr. Yousaf Khokhar, Janitor 14. Mr. John Paul Bernard, Driver 15. Mrs. Nasreen Sajid, Kitchen In-charge (cook) 16. Mr. Atif Yousaf, Support Staff 17. Mr. Asif Khan, IT officer Legal Advisors CLAAS & Court Clerks 1- Mr. Tahir Bashir (Advocate High Court) 2- Mr. Nasir Anjum Suba (Advocate High Court) 3- Mr. Tanvir Masih (Advocate High Court) 5- Mr. Ayaz Gill (Court Clerk) 6- Mr. Aqeel Naveed (Court Clerk) Staff of Apna Ghar (Rehabilitation Centre for Women & Safe House) 1. Mrs. Maria Basharat, In-charge Apna Ghar 2. Mr. Basharat, Watchman Apna Ghar 3. Mr. Liaqat Bhatti, Tailor Master-Apna Ghar 5 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge all efforts and hardworking of all the individuals especially CLAAS staff for compiling this report for the year 2012. My appreciations and gratitude for those who supported and at present supporting the struggle to defending and protecting the human rights as well as making this world of worries for peaceful. I am thankful to God Almighty for such a brilliant and devoted team especially, the administration, lawyers, Apna Ghar staff and other supporting staff. Secondly, I am thankful to CLAAS-UK and appreciate its constant efforts for presenting our point of view against the all forms of discriminations/legislations in the name of religion and our demands for equal rights and equal status of the non-Muslim citizens in Pakistan. I also acknowledge the role of CLAAS-UK for lobbying and raising awareness of misuse of blasphemy laws. I would like to have a high regard for all those who contribute professionally made this report available for you. M.A Joseph Francis MBE National Director 6 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT FOREWORD 7 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT Executive Summary The present critical situation in Pakistan is that of increasing economic and political instability and destabilized government which resulting for losing its control. The biggest threat confronting Pakistan is the growing control of Taliban and allies of Al Qaeda. The increasing number of bomb blasts, suicide attacks resulting the killings of innocent citizens and law-enforcement personnel across the country, throughout the greatest threat to fundamental rights of the citizens as well as to the human rights defenders. The critical rising situation of inflation, unemployment, worst law and order situation, extra judicial killings, target killings, enforced disappearances, violence against women, religious intolerance, discriminatory practices against religious minorities such as misuse of blasphemy laws, Hudood Ordinances, injustices and sexual harassment at workplace against non-Muslims and attacks on places of worships are alarming for grave threats to peace and security of religious minorities in the country. The sad fact is that the parliament did not pay adequate attention to the vital issues, quite a few of which affected national security, except for an initiative it took to address the uprising militancy and law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw, Punjab, Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan and Baluchistan. Country’s jails are over-crowded and poorly managed and victims of blasphemy are at high risks in the jails. The police are short of personnel which is also thoroughly corrupt and poorly trained. To check the crime rate, it relied on shortcuts like extra judicial killings of the accused in the so-called encounters. The failure of the criminal justice administration was also reflected in the increased incidents of crimes against women - the number of honor killings, rape, domestic torture and acid attacks/burning with other ways etc noticed throughout the year. The outright disrespect for fundamental rights, both by the state and the communal elements, was also visible in the crimes and excesses perpetrated against religious minorities. While the gangsters went on rampage in desecration of Gosha-e-Aman, Young Muslim boys attacked on Christians in LDA Quarters Lahore after minor child dispute, Maltreatment & harassment against Christians in village Kaadi Wind district Kasur. Ijaz Masih was murdered by Muslim friends in Manawala, district Nankana Sahib, Christian family was brutally slaughtered in Okara and Latif John house was attacked, burnt and also forced to embrace Islam. LDA authority demolition a Christian place in Lahore and after that Police was violent against Christians in LDA Lahore. Three young Christian brothers were murdered suspiciously in Lahore and Sunil Yaqoob aged 12, a Christian boy was murdered in Faisalabad and Faisal Masih was murdered in Essa Nagri, Karachi by Muslim extremists. Pastor Kalvin John was kidnapped at Martinpur Nankana Sahib. Maqdas Kainaat, a minor Christian girl was raped and murdered in Sahiwal. A young intelligent Christian boy Rabeel Aftab was kidnapped and forcibly converted into Islam, maltreated and sexually harassed in Sahiwal. Police violence against Christians in Bahawalpur, Sister Birgitta Almeby, a Swedish charity worker attacked by Muslim extremists in Lahore. The registration of false blasphemy cases also noticed in the last year Khurram Masih, Saira Khokhar, Shamim Bibi, Sajid Masih Pastor Joshua & Saleem Masih, Two female Ahmadis Syeda Tasneem Kausar and Robina Jabeen, Rimsha Misrik, Principal of Farooqi Girls High School, Ghazal Khan and Zafar Bhatti allegedly blamed for Blasphemy. These incidents, and dozens of cases implicating Ahmedis, misuse of the blasphemy laws, which over the years have been 8 exploited by fanatics and vested interests to perpetuate a reign of terror against the non- Muslims citizens of the country. The government was again too timid to take on the obscurantist elements and make amendments in the law. It could not even enforce the law banning the misuse of loudspeakers that the miscreants employed with impunity to incite the people to violence in both the gory incidents. The media, despite all its shortcomings, played a major role in raising the issues of public interest and highlighted the lackadaisical performance of the government. CLAAS was able to get released Ruqqiya Bibi and her husband Munir Masih from false charges of blasphemy 295-B-C after an ordeal of 5 years and also another victim of blasphemy Dildar Masih after nine months. Finally the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement (CLAAS) is trying hard to draw attention on the fair trail of all prisoners of blasphemy accused in accordance with the international standard for fair trial. CLAAS unconditionally opposed torture and other cruel, inhuman or all forms of degrading treatment or punishment of blasphemy prisoners and the prisoners under the row of death penalty and works for their abolition. CLAAS has expressed its shock and grave concerns on the state of prisoners imprisoned in the jails under false allegations of blasphemy laws. The report will enable our readers to look into the situation of Christian’s minority as they try to survive among other minorities but with greater power, i.e. Radical Muslims. Please take time and read this report as other then bad experiences we do have positive events where we have cherished our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through this report we want to encourage our readers to play a vital role in raising the voice of the voiceless and try to help build a just and tolerable society. 9 CENTRE FOR LEGAL AID ASSISTANCE & SETTLEMENT A word from National Director The brutal killing of innocent citizens in the name of war on terror, suicide attacks by the so called militants and the country facing political instability, critical law and order situation, judicial crisis or judicial activism, financial crisis, foreign DEBT, inflation & hunger, un-employment and religious intolerance crash the country throughout the year. The present and previous inhuman acts faced by the non-Muslim citizens of the country and the way they are suffering for their survival as non-Muslim citizens are not out of sight. The government totally failed to protect the non-Muslims especially Christians and also not even bothered to highlight the brutal attacks’ findings in public at large. The government also failed to execute their policies to discourage extremists and radical elements and abortive to stop the propaganda against non-Muslim citizens in the country.