In brief: Munir Mengal disappeared for 16 months, now being held in jail for 30 days

By Natasha Garyali
AsiaMedia Staff Writer

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The managing director of a proposed Balochi television channel was released by military intelligence on Aug. 6 after being held captive for nearly 16 months in a secret location. According to reports, Munir Mengal is currently being detained by the government under a 30-day custody order.

Reports say that Mengal went missing in 2006 after returning from Bahrain, where he went to recruit technical staff for Baloch Voice TV, the first Baloch-language television station which was scheduled to begin broadcasting from the United Arab Emirates in June 2006.

Expressing disappointment in the further detention of Mengal, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in a statement that "No official explanation has ever being given for his 'disappearance' although everyone knew it was yet another case of abduction by the intelligence services." The media group also said that Pakistani security services were using detention and execution as a tool to fight the growing Balochi separatist's movement.

The government is holding Mengal in the Khuzdar District Prison under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

The Daily Times reports that in 2006, 11 people were reported missing after being arrested by law enforcement agencies. Among those who have reported missing are Munir Ahmed Mengal, editor of the Baloch Voice, Dr. Haneef Shareef, prominent Balochi-language poet and writer, and Ejaz Ahmed activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). The division bench of the Sindh High Court will hear ten constitutional petitions challenging these alleged detentions on Aug. 16.

Malik Siraj, bureau chief for the Daily Times in Balochistan, has been closely monitoring judicial detention for several years. He said in a phone interview with AsiaMedia that 4,000 Baloch people are in government custody.

"This practice of abduction and disappearance is quite common. What normally happens is that people go missing all of a sudden and they are detained for one to four years and later they are found in the custody of police where they are booked under totally irrelevant charges," Siraj said.

Military agencies in Pakistan, Siraj said, are exempt from the rule of law.

Date Posted: 8/16/2007