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Texan Human Rights Campaigner Arrested, Held Incommunicado in Pakistan on Eve Of President Bush’s Visit. On Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, Dr.Safdar Sarki, a Texan who migrated from Sindh, Pakistan to the USA was taken away from his Karachi apartment by personnel belonging to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. Dr. Sarki, a U.S. citizen, had been campaigning for secularism and democracy, and specifically for the protection of the rights of ethnic and religious minorities in Pakistan. Witnesses report that Dr. Sarki was severely beaten for about an hour at his apartment by Pakistani security personnel before being blindfolded and moved to an unknown location. Dr. Sarki’s relatives and friends in Texas and Pakistan have been trying to determine his whereabouts but all the efforts have thus far proved in vain. Anonymous sources report to WSC that Dr. Sarki is being tortured in the custody of Pakistani military. However, the Pakistani authorities are denying that Dr. Sarki has been arrested. This has caused serious concern for the life of Dr. Sarki: Pakistani authorities have a history of torturing dissidents to death. The Sindhi community in North America is very concerned about the life and safety of Dr. Sarki and requests the US Department of Justice to use all available means to locate Dr. Sarki in order to save his life. The extra-judicial detention of a distinguished American human rights campaigner on the eve of Mr. Bush’s visit to Pakistan is a grave insult not only to our President but to all Americans who value liberty and justice for all. About the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) is a human rights advocacy organization for Sindh and Sindhis. The main objective of WSC is to create a better understanding in the international community about the persecution of Sindhis in Pakistan and their struggle for human rights, including the right of self-determination. WSC is a registered company in England and Wales, and California, USA, organzied to carry out non-profit activities only. For more information, visit http://www.worldsindhicongress.org |