Daily Diary (DD) - Day 212 of 2022

1100hrs:

Day 56 at Maqbool Bhat Shaheed Square - Dadyaal.

0753hrs

My punctuality deficit has decreased to 516 minutes.

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The following makes our blood curdle:

راولاکوٹ تھوراڑ کا رہائشی عابد حسین بدترین ریاستی جبر کا شکار ہو کر آج اپنے ہواس کھو چکا ہے۔ عابد کا واحد جرم اپنے حق کے لیے آواز اٹھانا تھا۔ خدارا سب لوگ عابد حسین کے ساتھ ہونے والی اس زیادتی پر آواز اٹھائیں۔@sahaafi @iffatabbas24 @aqib301101#AJKRightsMovement pic.twitter.com/nhHOT2ziyo

— Osama Bin Mushtaq (@obm2020) July 31, 2022

English translation of above tweet:

(It is reported that) resident of Thorar in district Rawalakot Abid Hussain - a victim of State terrorism - has now lost his senses. Abid's sole crime was to raise his voice for his (fundamental) rights. For the sake of the Almighty everyone should raise their voice on this cruelty meted out to Abid Hussain.

End of translation....

English translation of above Facebook post:

Abid Hussain was arrested in Androt (near Azad Pattan) in tehsil Thorar on (Thursday the 28th of July) and brought to Thorar police station where his body was cut with a razor blade in various places (some visible in the photos above) in the middle of the night, then salt and various spices were put in those cuts to increase the pain of the torture meted out to him. His condition became critical and initially the police tried to conceal him from the public but upon a local judge's order to present him in court he was taken to CMH (Civil & Military Hospital) in Rawalakot, where he is undergoing treatment. A gross human rights violation has taken place. It is analysed that when a State becomes hollow and weak from the inside, it then reacts with excessive violence in order to try and spread fear throughout the public. 

The public of Thorar and beyond (Awaami Action Committee Poonch) have vowed to avenge this cruel act for each wound and cut it has inflicted.  

When transgression exceeds beyond what humans can endure it propels itself towards its own disintegration and the public is also hard on its heels.

End of translation....

My own sentiment:

My co-citizen has been tortured in this manner to maintain the sensual pleasures of the Pakistani governing elite.

Points taken from Abid Hussain's (son of Abdul Aziz) sister's video statement above on 29/07/22 by JKTV:

- He is of Kachul in Thorar...police arrested him from Azad Pattan..it has been 3 days...he was taken to Rawalakot and kept concealed.

- The police burned their own buses.

- Her brother is a heart patient.

- His spinal column (vertebrae) is also out of place.

- Her father fought for the Pakistani army and was martyred in the 1971 war. His body was received after 6 months. Two of her grand uncles were also martyred whose bodies were never recovered.

- We have sacrificed a lot for our country (Pakistan).

- The people we have voted for are imposing these police atrocities on us. The weak are always targeted in such circumstances.

- No due process of law has been observed in my brother's case.

- My mother is also a heart patient and I hope the mothers of these police officials go through the pain my mother is going through.

- A medical examination of my brother must be conducted forthwith and it must be done in the presence of lawyers and the public as we don't trust the police (she repeats).

- She also repeats that the police are not disclosing her brother's whereabouts and are providing contrasting and contradictory information, making us run from pillar to post, from one police station to the other and from one hospital to the other.

Sajjad Afzal's (president of Sarorajia Party - State of J & K) video statement who was an eye witness of events in Thorar on the day Abid Hussain was arrested:

- The public were peacefully agitating for their rights and all legal proceedings have been lodged against them, rather than those who disturbed the peace. There were some clashes between criminal elements and the police who had mutual grudges against each other but none of the former were arrested or charged.

- Abid Hussain was not even involved for over 99% of the protests.

- The police were extremely reluctant to give any correct information about Abid Hussain's whereabouts to anybody, including other law enforcement agencies. It was only after civil society activated lawyers including Javed Sharif (president of district lawyer's bar association Rawalakot) and the judiciary - High Court AJK - took action followed by a surprise visit by a local judge to a police chowki (sub-station or police post) and the main hospital in Rawalakot (CMH or Civil & Military hospital). Both venues had been falsely quoted by the police as Abid Hussain's whereabouts. The police did not want the public to see evidence of the brutal torture they had inflicted on him.

- The police subsequently tried to resuscitate him with vigorous massages and giving him heavy injections to try and make him look presentable in court the next day. They also threatened him to not disclose anything in front of the judge, else his transport business will be destroyed and his life will be made such a hell that he will no longer be able to even walk on the street. "We'll abduct you from your home and abduct the womenfolk of your home too", warned the police.

- Thus, Abid Hussain was put under enormous pressure - both physical and mental - by the police.

- The session judge in front of who Abid was presented ordered for a medical check-up while keeping him under judicial detention. Again, the fear is that the police will concoct a report suited to their version of events, rather than what actually happened.

- The public of AJK have to immunise themselves from such police brutality.

This writer contacted Sajjad Afzal before writing this report and confirmed the following:

Abid was arrested on Thursday the 28th of July in the evening when returning home from Azad Pattan on a private errand, totally unrelated to the protests. It is considered that he was arrested because he happened to be a relative of the already arrested president of the local trader's association in Thorar Saajid Azam. 

(Update: 01/08/2022 at 1914hrs:)

A thorough interview is conducted of Abid Hussain by JKTV at CMH Rawalakot, where despite his police torture and his inability to even walk, he is being kept handcuffed to the hospital bed:

- Amongst Abid Hussain's torturers in the police force were DSP Tariq Khan and Sub-Inspector Idris Chugtai, along with up to 8 others.

- These dirty deeds were conducted at Baldiya police check post (chowki) in Rawalakot.

- He mentions shards of glass being used to make cuts in his body before salt and spices were put in them.

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For the record:

Pakistan as member nation of UN would breach the Charter obligations, if it pushes the amendment. AJK MLAs would be criminally liable for hurting the people and Kashmir case. https://t.co/7XkUertnO5

— Syed Nazir Gilani (@JKCHR) July 30, 2022

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Meanwhile, 2 sitting MLA's (Members of the Legislative Assembly) considered it opportune to participate in the 'All Parties Peoples Rights Forum - District Poonch' dharna (sit-in protest), which has become the focus of attention throughout AJK.

Leader of the Opposition - Choudhary Latif Akbar (PPP):

Former prime minister - Raja Farooq Haider (PMLN):

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We shouldn't forget that we also have a sizeable diaspora in Pakistan's twin capital cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. They are also highly conscious of what is happening at home. Here, Advocate Nisaar Shah of Awaami Worker's Party can be seen addressing the public outside Islamabad press club:

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