Hyderabad: February 9, 2012. (By Abbas Kassar) The human rights situation in Sindh has gone from worse to worst as the present rule of feudal lords lingers on. Scores of people are being killed and kidnapped on daily basis. Women are killed and given in exchange like commodity for crimes of male family members. Murder, kidnapping and other heinous crimes are decided in Jirgas, illegal courts of local feudal lords instead of courts, in complicity of police. In January the first month of 2012, 156 people were killed (50 in Karachi) including 27 women out of whom 23 under Karo Kari( family honor) and 64 kidnapped including 23 women and children. 12 persons were already in captivity of kidnappers since last year that makes number of those made hostages with kidnappers in January to 76. These are figures taken from newspapers of cases which were reported only. More than half cases of kidnappings, rapes etc are not reported out of honor of family. The ministers have limited themselves to Karachi offices and whole province has been left on mercy of Waderas, Bhotars and Sardars who, by turning Sindh into crime land has stopped all ways of living for people. Interesting aspect of violation of human rights is that major incidents of murders, kidnapping, killing, torture and violence against women, robberies, holding of illegal Jirgas,etc are taking place in Upper Sindh districts which are having powerful ministers in federal and provincial cabinets. District of Larkana has topped in crimes with 19 murders in a month followed by Shikarpur 14,Jaccobabad/Kandhkot with 13 murders, Khairpur 12, Sukkur 9, Ghotki 8 and Dadu 7. Almost similar is position of kidnappings and violence against women These districts had remained notorious in crimes during last year also with no regard for human rights. Though these districts are represented in federal as well as Sindh cabinet’s more than lower Sindh districts. Aijaz Jakhrani, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Syed Khurshid Shah, are not only powerful federal ministers but also close to president Zardari. Similarly among Sindh ministers Siraj Durani, Mir Nadir Magsi, Ayaz Soomro, Agha Taimoor, Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Pir Mazharul Haq, Manzoor Wassan all powerful provincial minister along with Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and speaker Nisar Khuhro all beling to the crime infested Upper Sindh. If law and order situation in any other province has gone to such worst climax that there could be no security of any man going out of home to return back safely, the chief minister would have resigned but such a tradition has never been set up in Pakistan and misery of Sindhis is that the system of their government runs to reverse like LBOD. 76 persons including 17 children were kidnapped during first month of 2012. The children include 18 months Moomal of Mehr, 3 years Marajeel of Sakrand, 8 years Faisal Khoso of Hyderabad, a baby Miskan from Ghotki and 4 girls kidnapped from Mehr town of district Dadu during December last also remained hostages with kidnappers as was Imran Jokhyo of Naushahro Feroz and girl Fazila Sarki who was kidnapped from Thul 4 and half years back during which as many as 6 SSP were posted in Jaccobabad. None of them could move to recover 7 year old Fazila, now reported to have forcibly married to a powerful Wadera of the area. The kidnappers did not even spare a beggar old man of Mehrabpur and a journalist Azam Sahriani of Daharki of Ghotki district. It astonishes that why federal and Sindh governments kept silence and remained unwilling to stop human rights violation on such a large scale. The police also did not move to arrest any killer or kidnapper and instead of recovering the kidnapped persons was reported to have bargained their release by asking the victims’ relatives to pay ransom to kidnappers through them. The ransom amount was shared by police and waderas as kidnappers happen to be armed gangs of these politically powerful Waderas and Sardars as under reconciliation policy of Mr. Zardari all Sardars and Jagirdars are part of present PPP government which claims to be party of poor but in fact is party of Jagirdars. When three months back 3 Hindus were murdered in Chak town of Shikarpur district police did not arrest the main accused Ghulam Muhammad Bhayo nominated in FIR and he was roaming freely in Chak for the reason that he is close relative to Sardar Wahid Bux Bhayo MNA and district president of PPP while he is also front man of Sindh Minister Agha Siraj Durrani. Later few Hindu families migrated to India out of fear of monster Sardars the others made compromise under pressure. When people anywhere in Sindh take out rallies against killing of men and women, kidnapping, police atrocities and other crimes that are let loose on behest of Sardars and raise slogans of change, the government smells conspiracy against democracy and says it has got mandate of people. Does mandate mean to kill and kidnap your voter at rate of at least 10 persons daily only in one province. During the month of January 2012 the Sardars organized as many as 11 Jirgas. These Jirgas ( illegal tribal courts) were also held in Ghotki, Shikarpur, Khairpur and Dadu except one at Tando Muhammad Khan. Many of murders were messed up in these Jirgas which were chaired by same powerful Jagirdas and Waderas. More than Rs.20 million were received by Sardars by imposing fine on those found guilty but not a single rupees was deposited in government treasury. Is this not kind of Bhata or Jaga tax. Major Jirgas are held on flimsy grounds by accusing any person of being in illicit relations with any woman ( Karo) and to pay fine or be ready to be killed. Apart from above 14 incidents of suicide also took place in Sindh during the month mostly either by women fed up with family torture or by young men on not finding a job. It may be mentioned here that Sindh government claims to have given jobs to 57000 persons but I have not found any one from among the poor. The govt jobs are distributed among ministers, assembly members and office bearers of ruling PPP who then sell the same. Police atrocities also remain on worst level during the month as they instead of arresting culprits raided villages of complainants and after pulling down homes of villages took away their animals and arrested their women along with infant children. More than 60 homes were demolished or burnt by police during raids and scores of women arrested. Police also proved cruel like Sardars. In one instance when 13 women were injured and they rushed to police station Ghotki to seek refuge police men shut the gate of police station torefuse protection. In a village in Madeji police took away 100 animals of villagers during a raid. During the month 5 young persons were picked up by plainclothes personnel from various parts of the province. They included Imtiaz Shah from Matli district Badin. His brother Mukhtiar said Imtiaz has no connection with any political or nationalist party. He said he was picked up when he was on his way from Matli to home at Rajo Khanani. 2 persons Noor Muhammad Khaskheli and his nephew Ghulam Muhammad khaskheli were picked up by plain clothes officials from Gulistan Sajjad, Qasimabad Hyderabad while 2 more persons Siddique and Faisal were picked up by agencies personnel from Mirpurkhas. These both are said to be belonging to a religious party. In 1500 BC when Hittites warriors had taken control of Hamurabi’s Babylonia they advanced further and conquered Sindhu Mathri ( Indus valley).The conquerors declared them as Aryas and the local Sindhis as Das or Shudar ( slaves). These rulers then declared that as Shudar were unholy so they can be killed like dogs and cats. I fear the same era has ushered in Sindh again as hundreds are being killed every month like dogs and cats and there seems no court for victims. When anywhere in world 50 or 60 people are killed whole world stands in cry but when more than 150 people are killed in Sindh every month without being heard at any forum no one takes notice of it, nor even President , prime minister neither any minister of Sindh including chief minister as if those falling victims were animals. When in 1905 hundreds of thousands of Russsian led by a priest Georgy Gapon marched to Czar Nicholas II Palace in a cold January Sunday (which was later named as Black Sunday and declared as first revolution) they were chanting slogans “God Save Czar”. I foresee Black Sunday like revolution when the people will raise slogan “God Save Pakistan”. (Abbas Kassar is former bureau chief of PPI at Hyderabad, Pakistan Reporter of PCP, USA. Presently reporter of Lahore Times and article writer on human rights)