ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Monday that Pakistan would soon raise the issue of Shakirullah — its citizen stoned to death recently in an Indian prison — at the appropriate forum.

“We are examining what the appropriate international convention is,” said Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, after members from both sides of the aisle condemned the brutal torture of the man who remained in jail even after completing his sentence for the offence of crossing the border from Sialkot, to enter Indian territory.

Ms Mazari maintained that the crime was tantamount to having been committed by the Indian government, since “jail authorities are part of the government”. She regretted that some organs of the prisoner were found missing when his body was handed over, having apparently been removed by jail authorities.

The issue had been raised in the house by PPP parliamentary leader Sherry Rehman, who blasted India for the horrifying response received by Pakistan, subsequent to the latter’s decision to swiftly hand over the recently captured pilot to the former. “The condition of the prisoner’s body speaks of the extent of extremism in India,” she remarked, noting that doctors were unable to tell the extent of torture Shakirullah had been subjected to.

Maintaining that he had been “lynched”, and his spinal cord broken, she added that the grotesque tale should serve as an eye-opener as regards to the risk faced by a large number of Pakistani prisoners incarcerated in Indian jails. Ms Rehman expressed the opinion that Shakirullah must have been killed in front of the jail warden.

Pakistan to raise issue at ‘appropriate forum’

Sassui Palejo of the same party remarked that the incident ‘involving the height of extremism’ must be taken note of by the Foreign Office.

Senator retired Gen Abdul Qayyum said that ‘alive nations’ must stand up for the safety of each and every citizen. Saying that international law must be activated, he demanded that India share with Pakistan the autopsy report of the victim, and referred to the Charter of the United Nations, and the Geneva and Vienna conventions.

Mushtaq Ahmad of the Jamaat-i-Islami reiterated that the killing could not have been possible without the facilitation by the Indian government and jail authorities. He also repeated that the issue should be raised at the UN and international human rights forums, adding that apart from Pakistan’s responsibility to demand the identity of the killers and the initiation of judicial proceedings against them, India ought to tender an apology.

From the PML-N camp, Mushahidullah Khan noted that Shakirullah’s ribs had been found broken and said that this was possible only if ‘trained people’ had tortured him. He criticised the Indian spy agency RAW for “carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan” and said that “Indian weapons had been recovered in many cases from terrorists”. Further, he added, “RAW has close linkage with Maulana Fazlullah,” while reminding the house that there was a time when the United States had placed a visa ban on Narendra Modi for his (alleged) involvement in terrorism.

On his part, Javed Abbasi of the same party presented the opinion that while India claims to be a secular state, the treatment meted out to religious minorities negates this, and the brutal face of India should be exposed before the world.

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar of the PPP and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of the MQM spoke about some of the international conventions that can be invoked in such a case. Mr Saif was of the view that a criminal case can be registered in Pakistan with regards to Shakirullah’s torture and death, and that international warrants can be sought.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2019