The News
Monday, July 28, 2008
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE

FORMER Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney has strongly condemned the arrest of two innocent men in Kabul on 2nd July 08 only due to their Pakistani nationality; and demanded that they immediately be released.

According to information received by the Ansar Burney Trust from Kabul, the two Pakistani men named Syed Furqan Shah and Mohammad Inam Ullah were working as employees at 5 star Safi Landmark Hotel in Kabul when Afghan Security Police arrested them. Burney said no reason for their arrest was provided except that they were Pakistani nationals and looked suspicious. He further said the arrest took place at 11am on the 2nd of July at Safi Landmark Hotel where Syed Furqan Shah was performing his duties as General Manager and Mohammad Inam Ullah as Manager of the hotel. Ansar Burney Trust, which has already established contact with family members, has demanded the Afghan government that reasons for the arrest of these two Pakistanis be provided immediately.

Burney has already written to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, demanding that the Afghan government provide a list of all Pakistanis being held in Afghanistan while the Trust has sought permission from the United States and Afghan governments to allow Ansar Burney Trust team to visit Bagram Prison in search of missing and illegally detained Pakistanis and other nationals.

According to the Ansar Burney Trust, dozens of Pakistani nationals and other foreign prisoners have been arrested and imprisoned illegally in Afghanistan without ever committing a crime, only because of their Pakistani or other nationality. On Saturday, Ansar Burney wrote once again to the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad demanding that reasons for the arrest of these two Pakistanis be provided along with a list of all Pakistanis being held in Afghan Prisons.

Press Back on your browser to Return