If I am missing – by Saeeda Diep
Saeeda Diep
Friends, comrades
This is to bring into your notice my constant harassment by the intelligence personnel; if i am missing you might have an idea. Here is the letter i have sent to a higher official.
May 19, 2010
To,
A.I.G Police Special Branch , Mrs Helena Iqbal Saeed
Subject: Harassment by personnel of different intelligence agencies
Respected sir,
I am a citizen of Lahore a social and peace activist, founder of Institute for Peace and Secular Studies. As such I have been involved in numerous social and right based activities for the last fifteen years. My activities involve peace initiative with our neighbors particularly India and additionally involved in campaign against various injustices prevalent in our society regarding minorities, women, poor and the underprivileged. For reasons that I can not fathom these lawful activities have led to my constant harassment by the intelligence agencies of the country.
Following my protests against the horrors of Shantinagar massacre in 1999, my visits to India as part of people to people peace initiatives and visits of some Indian delegates to my home, I have been constantly harassed by various intelligence agencies.
I have been taken to various police station , forcibly picked up from the Lahore Press Club by the intelligence personnel to be later dropped outside their office near the Lahore Zoo, constantly threatened on the phone through “private caller ID” and harassed through regular visits to my home. Additionally my mobile phone and contact diary have been stolen. What is more depressing is that these agencies always ask the same questions’ who is you husband and provide us the detail of your family? ’Why are you interested in peace with India since India is our enemy’, ‘What is the source of your funding?’
I am a law abiding citizen of Pakistan with no links to any religious organization or a political party, and I work for the benefit of the people of my land within my constitutional rights and nothing to hide from anyone. If intelligence agencies have an issue with what I do, I appeal to you to kindly instruct all security agencies to carry out formal investigation where I should be permitted to answer all allegations, suspicions and question. This is my basic right and i request you to ensure it should not be denied.
Over the last few weeks I have found intelligence personnel stationed outside my house they have often sought entry into my house which I have not allowed without demanding the proof of their identity. Three officials have shown me their identity cards purportedly issued by the ISI, IB and the special branch. Sadly their manner of interrogation has always been impolite, menacing and threatening.
I urge you to please examine the following possibilities
• Are these officials harassing me under instructions from their seniors, or
• Is it possible that the higher authorities have nothing to do with the harassment of a woman who is a peace and human right activist and these officials are acting at their own .
In view of the above I appeal to you to look into my complaint and order these personal to refrain, from interfering with my right, and harassment, those found guilty for transgressing their powers and acting outside the law should be suitably punished under the law.
I should like to make it clear that if the intelligence personnel do not stop festering me I shall have no option but to take this grave personal issue to the superior courts.
Please note Since I have been harassed to the extent that I have begun to fear not only for my personal life, but the life of my children as well .I have deposited copies of my petition with my lawyer and human rights organizations so that they may take appropriate action in case something untoward happens.
Hope my submission will receive your sympathetic and immediate attention.
Sincerely,
Saeeda diep
CC:President of pakistan
Prime Minster of Pakistan
Chief Minster of Punjab
Governor Punjab
D.G ISI
D.G IB
D.G FIA
D.G MI
Here is a post from BBC Urdu by Hasan Mujtaba
دیپ اور جاسوسی ایجنسیاں
سیدہ دیپ لاہور میں وہ خاتون ہے جو پاکستانی ایلیٹ کے اس حلقے میں سے نہیں جو جب بھٹہ مزدوروں کے حق میں مظاہرہ کرنے نکلتے ہیں تو پراری واٹر کی بوتلیں اپنے ساتھ لے جاتے ہیں۔
سیدہ دیپ اصل میں لاہور کے ان لوگوں میں سے ہیں جو جب بھی پاکستان کو انکی ضرورت پڑی ہے وہ بیچ سڑک کے پِٹے ہیں۔ بالکل جالب کی طرح ‘بڑے بنے تھے جالب صاحب پٹے سڑک کے بیچ۔‘
یہ وہ لوگ ہیں جن کے جگر میں تمہارا میرا سارے جہاں کا درد ہوتا ہے۔اہل درد اور اہل دل لوگ۔ خطہء لاہور کے واقعی حقیقی جانثار جو محاذ سے بھاگتے نہیں بلکہ ان میں کئیوں نے شاہی قعلے کے عقوبت خانوں کو بھی آباد کیا تھا۔ آخر شب کے ہمسفر ٹائپ لوگ۔
‘آخر شب کے چراغ ہیں ہم لوگ’
ملک میں جہموریت کی بحالی کی تحریک ہو، پریس یا عدلیہ کی آزادی ہو، خواتین کے حقوق ہوں یا سب سے زیادہ دکھ بھری اور جوکھم بھری راہ ہندوستان پاکستان کے درمیاں دوستی اور امن کی کوششیں، اپنے کاندھوں پر اجرک اور ہاتھ میں سگریٹ سلگائے ہوئے دیپ اندھیرے راستوں پر آگے آگے ہوتی ہے۔
میرا خیال ہے کہ دنیا میں بمشکل دو ہزار ایسے لوگ بچے ہونگے۔ پچھلی دفعہ دیپ چیف جسٹس اور عدلیہ کی بحالی کیلیے جیل گئی تھیں۔
دیپ نے دو ہزار پانچ میں دِلّی سے شاہ لطیف بھٹائي کے مزار تک ہندوستان اور پاکستان کے درمیاں امن کیلے پیادہ مارچ کیا تھا۔ دونوں ممالک کے دیپ جیسے لوگ ‘جن کےہونٹوں پہ ہنسی پاؤں میں چھالے ہونگے’ بن کر آئے تھے۔
لیکن ہندوستان اور پاکستان کے درمیاں دوستی اور محبت کی پلیں بنانے کیلیے سوچنا بھی بارودی سرنگ پر پاؤں رکھنے کے مترادف ہے۔ دیپ پھر آنے والے دنوں میں دِلی اور کراچی کے درمیاں امن مارچ منظم کرنا چاہتی ہے۔ اب کے بار برصغیر ہندوستان پاکستان کو نیوکلیائي اسلحے سے پاک خطہ دیکھنا چاہتی ہے۔
Well if she is threat to the securty of the country I think she deserves this, and especially if her organisation has something SECULAR study in it, its clear she is INDIAN paid stooge who is working for their goals maybe not covertly, attempting to SECULARISE the Muslims.
Next time the agents visit her, i hope they analise her.
Dear Mr. Muhammad Ali,
Let’s meet up to discuss your remarks face to face.
Aman
She ,Diep ,is the hope and light towards a humanistic democratic secular state ,which is the only way to live in peace and progress in 21st century .
in the herd of 18millions most madcaps and obscurants ,she is a symbol and glaring star of humanism ,justice ,socail welfare ,equality and honest true progressive democratic values.
I salute her for her gallantry and courageousness . if some claim to be a true pakistani or a good human biengs ,needs to follow her and join her team.
with solidarity and heartfelt regards for c.Diep
Maa, you don’t need to be frightened from these intelligence hounds, who seeks nothing else than making life a living hell for ordinary citizen like us. What we need to do, which you are doing in quite a better manner is to involve and interact with ordinary people and specially youth. To tell the truth and facts about these these vultures, still hovering above our heads, waiting for our death as a nation and to have a feast on over dead bodies, they would cross any limit. They’ve threatened us enough by hurling death penalities and by killing innocent people like Salim Shahzad and many other brave citizen of this unfortunate land, who struggled to show the real and heineous face of Pakistani Militery Establishment. You expressed in your letter that they are always asking about your funding sources and why do you talk about peace with india, whom they declare as an enemy estate. Ask them to show their accounts and let the audit procedure get through in their “Defence” Budget and Miliatery Expediture. Just say them that “I, Saeed Diep, do not have enough sources to raise a Defence HOusing Societies. They are against India you know why, as India was the country who defeated them at DHAKA, to stop genocide, massacre, and rape of million on innocent Bengalis. These are the most brutal sort of terrorists you can find not anywhere but unfortunately in our south asia. Since you are doing your part of duty, we are with you no matter to what extent circumstances are made thick and thin for you.
bravo and kudos to diep saeeda