An open letter to Pakistan and Sri Lankan higher authorities.

Guest post

Written by: Sadia Khan

Dear All,

I am a Pakistani Asylum seeker in Sri Lanka with UNHCR for personal and domestic reasons.

I was writing about security forces and  Humaan rights issues in Pakistan.  I was deeply touched with the ongoing terrorism in Pakistan. Unfortunately I miscalculated and started writing on my website that Pakistan security forces are involved in supporting terrorism.

As soon as I disclosed my identity on my website, Sri Lankan authorities took us (Myself my mother and my 11 years old sister ) to the detention center Mirihana on 9th of March 2013. They took away our passports UNHCR stay permition letter all our valuables and everything we had.

An officer shouted at me (“YOU GIVE OUR INFORMATION TO INDIA’’?)

I was shocked, I do not know a single person from India I am a stranger in Sri Lanka with zero knowledge of people places and languages spoken here…. What’s going on?

In the detention center we were told by the authorities that,

SIS ( Srilankan intelligence service )  Head is investigating about you.
 

Your house is sealed.

CID special team is investigating about you.

You will be taken to the high court and will be shifted to the jail.

I was horrified I had a minor heart attack. I stayed in the cardiac ward of Kalbo wala teaching hospital for few days. A doctor told me that higher Sri Lankan authorities contacted hospital staff and told them  that Sadia is a spy of India and discharge her as soon as possible.

I was discharged from the hospital with a paining heart and hyper cholesterol my Eco report was withheld.

Sri Lankan police knew that we were trapped by SIS. We three family members managed to flee from the detention center.

Realizing my mistake I removed all my posts about human rights issues and security forces.

I tried to contact immigration office in Sri Lanka and begged them to remove charges from me and set us free. I spoke to Assistant controller Bandara to help me. He was well briefed by the higher Authorities and said to me

“Special Forces are looking for you. I will secretly give your passports and you run to India.”

I contacted Pakistan Embassy here in Sri Lanka and informed them about what Bandara told me. I am in touch with them for the last many months.  We  also sent a letter to  the High Commissioner General R Qasim Qureshi to help us but in vain.

I spoke to the Pakistan Embassy staff Bilal  Akram Shah and Aamir Zubair Sidiqi. They agreed with me that I was innocent but did not do any thing for me.

Recently I spoke to Aamna Baloch Deputy High commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, She was simply shocked to know what had happened to us. She promised me that she will help me and sounded very positive but everything changed in a very suspicious way. Embassy staff started hiding from me they were not answering my calls what happened between them and Sri Lankan Authorities  what was the order from Pakistan,was not a good news for me.

Another bomb shell fell on me when I came to know that Embassy staff which had previously told me that they have discussed my my case with COAS Ashfaq  Parvez Kayani who came on a visit to Sri Lanka on 27th of June 2013,  were hiding this matter from Defence officer of the Embassy Colonel Shaharyar Parveiz Butt.

When I talked to Colonel Parveiz Butt they got very upset. They disconnected the phone and did not allow me to give all the information to him. Operator told me that I am not allowed to speak to him.

 They were so helpful why would they do so?

 Please help us. We are living in hiding for the last 6 months. Sri Lankan SIS, CID and special service teams are looking for us. If we get arrested they will definitely kill us as they do not have even 0-1 percent proof against us. They will not hold any trial against us as UNHCR, Human rights groups including Amnesty international know about these charges and will perhaps come to see the show.

  

Sri Lankan Authorities will secretly kill us to avoid any embarrassment.

We live in hiding in very bad conditions. Take a look on our photos we live in a place which is like a cave.

Waiting for help, Sadia Khan