Together with three other families of disappeared people, she started a movement, protesting in front of locations such as Parliament House, the Supreme Court, and the presidential residence. Sixteen years later, although Amina Masood is still searching for answers, her association has grown to a well-known organisation in Pakistan. Families of disappeared victims from all around the country have joined Defence of Human Rights DHR , an organisation that has as its vision 'a world without enforced disappearances, injustices and where the disappeared are reunited with their loved ones.
She told the CED that in Pakistan, enforced disappearances have become a "widespread social evil" and explained that among the people disappeared are activists, human rights defenders, writers, poets, journalists, students and lawyers. Since its inception, DHR has registered 2, cases of disappeared Pakistanis, of which 1, have been traced by the organisation and subsequently reunited with their families.
Sadly, some 77 disappeared people have reportedly lost their lives in custody. Ms Masood and her colleagues at DHR have also been strongly advocating to the government to criminalise enforced disappearance in the country.
Following this pressure, a bill will soon be brought before Pakistan's parliament. While Ms Masood is pleased with the progress that has been made in terms of potential new legislation to criminalise enforced disappearances, she insists there is a long way to go. The movement of disappeared persons started with the enforced disappearance of Masood Janjua and his friend Faisal Faraz from Rawalpindi. This was further established through the statement of one Dr. Imran Munir, who remained in the custody of the military.
In an official statement given to the government functionaries, Dr. Imran testified that he had seen Masood Ahmed Janjua in a secret detention center. Several other persons subjected to enforced disappearances testified to seeing both men in detention. Their cases are pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. However, State officials deny their custody and all knowledge of their whereabouts, to date. Eventually, they discovered that the two men had been forcibly disappeared by forces loyal to the then President Pervez Musharraf.
Today, the families are still without any information on their whereabouts. It would be impossible for anyone to understand what we have all gone through during these 16 years of torture and misery," said Amina. In each session, the CED reserves a space of tribute to victims of enforced disappearances to share their testimonies. Such testimonies are key for the CED to identify options to support both them and the government authorities involved.
Amina Masood described the period of shock and anguish that she went through when her husband disappeared.
0コメント