Shireen Mazari assures to take up Shakirullah killing matter at Int’l forum

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Monday assured the Senate that the government of Pakistan would move to a suitable international forum to raise the matter of killing of Shakirullah, a Pakistani prisoner who was stoned to death by other inmates in an Indian jail.

Responding to the point of order raised by Senators on killing of Shakirullah and suggesting the government to take up the matter at any international forum, the minister said that the government would not remain silent on the matter and take up this issue.

“We want to see most important forum to take up this matter. We should go to the United Nations as there is a proceeding on human rights in coming days and we will definitely raise this issue there.”

The minister said there was also a need to register the case with the Indian government.

She said the government had been studying relevant international laws which were applicable besides appropriate international conventions on the subject.

Strongly condemning the issue, Mazari said that the Indian jail authorities allowed Shakirullah’s inmates in Indian jail to kill him and added that Indian authorities were equally responsible of this inhuman incident.

She said, “We were studying best option to go for the relevant forum.”

The minister said the Indian government must investigate the killing of Shakirullah.

She said the government already moved to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kulbhushan Jadhav case while a dossier was being prepared on Indian RAW activities.