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Prime Ministership;
Ansar Burney debunks rumor
Daily Morning News; 19th September 1990
ISLAMABAD – The Human Rights activist and
Chairman of Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International,
Mr Ansar Burney, Advocate has expressed indignation
that his name was being proposed as next Prime Minister
of the country.
He said that the rumour was rife since a Senator from
NWFP province during recent debate in the Senate proposed
his name as impartial Prime Minister in the present
caretaker Government.
Mr Ansar Burney said that neither he had any political
ambition nor he belonged to any political party or group.
The only mission of his life was to serve suffering
humanity to please Allah Almighty he said.
Woman
prisoner raped, robbed
Daily Dawn; 17th February 1985
KARACHI, Feb 16: District Magistrate, Multan, has
ordered that an FIR be lodged against the person who
allegedly raped Mst Bashiran lodged in New Central Jail,
Multan.
He gave the order after completion of enquiry on the
directive of Federal Ministry of Interior following
a telegram sent by Mr Ansar Burney, President of Prisoners
Aid Society, to President Zia-ul-Haq.
Mst Bashiran was sentenced to death by a court in Okara
last year. While in Jail with Gulshan, her two year
old daughter, Mst Bashiran was allegedly raped by Darban
of the Jail and she became pregnant. She was also allegedly
deprived of her gold ornaments in jail by two lady jail
staff members.
Ansar
Burney Trust Efforts; Another
woman joins relatives after 45 years
The Daily News; 25th October 1992
KARACHI – Another woman Ghulam Fatima who lost
to her family just after the establishment of Pakistan,
joined her relatives after 45 long years, following
efforts made by the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International.
Ghulam Fatima’s cousins Jan Mohammed and Fazlun
Bibi who reached the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust’s
Rehabilitation Center in Islamabad from Sahiwal to take
their Auntie seemed very happy to see her.
Fazlun Bibi embraced her. Tears of joy were visible
in the eyes of both Fazlun Bibi and Ghulam Fatima. Ghulam
Fatima looked very happy to meet her loved ones after
45 long years.
Fazlun Bibi told the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International
that Ghulam Fatima daughter of Ahmed Din was married
to her cousin, Karam-un-Nabi, in Faridkott, in 1947
at the age of 16.
Three months before of independence of Pakistan, Mst
Ghulam Fatima, along with her husband, went to her in-laws
house at Suksar, India, after the establishment of Pakistan
Mst Ghulam Fatima’s family migrated to Pakistan.
Later when Mst Ghulam Fatima’s elder brother
went to Suksar to meet his sister and brother-in-law,
he came to know that her husband was killed in front
of Mst Ghulam Fatima in 1947, to which Ghulam Fatima
lost her mental equilibrium and left the house.
Fazlun Bibi also told that Jan Mohammed later made
thorough search for his lost sister both in India and
Pakistan but she could not be traced. Later her search
was suspended presuming that she might also have been
killed in the Hindu Muslim riot.
Fazlun Bibi told that they were thrilled with joy when
they came to know through Television that Ghulam Fatima
was with Ansar Burney Trust.
It may be mentioned that Lahore
Police has arrested Ghulam Fatima, on the charge of
loitering in 1947 and sent her to jail from she was
shifted to the Lahore Mental Hospital where she passed
her precious 45 long years of her life. She was released
on June, 26 this year (1992), with the efforts of Mr
Ansar Burney, Advocate, Chairman; Ansar Burney Welfare
Trust and brought to the Rehabilitation Center.
On the occasion of the happy reunion, Ghulam Fatima’s
nephews, Saeed Ahmed and Mohammed Salim were also present.
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37 years
of asylum life for seeking Police help
Daily Dawn; January 22, 1985
 KARACHI,
Jan 21: Muzaffar Ali Shah, the oldest inmate of Mental
Hospital, Lahore, will be freed on Tuesday after 37
years.
The release has been made possible by the Sindh Government
undertook to bear his hospital charges (Rs 30,000) at
the request of Prisoners Aid Society (Ansar Burney Welfare
Trust International) which had also traced him out.
Muzaffar's nephew, Syed Nisar Hussain, lives in Jehlum
but he informed he was unable to secure the custody
of his uncle because of financial constraints.
On migration to Pakistan in 1947, Muzaffar had opened
a shop at M. A. Jinnah Road. Some time later, his shop
was burgled and when he went to file a report, he was
arrested under the lunacy act. Records show that he
was arrested without any crime And never produced before
any court.
The release of Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah became fruitful
only because of the efforts of Ansar Burney, Advocate.
The Bureau of Missing and Kidnapped Children/Persons
of the Ansar Burney Welfare Trust traced the relatives
of Muzaffar Ali Shah.
While talking to newsmen, Muzaffar Shah thanked
to Ansar Burney and said that he was of the opinion
that he will die and will never go out to take breath
in free world, but Mr Ansar Burney make it possible
for him.
35 years
in Jail on cooked-up charge
Daily Dawn; Tuesday - May 19, 1987
(By our Staff Reporter)
 KARACHI,
May 18: Mr Ansar Burney, Chief of the Prisoners' Aid
Society, on Monday got out of Jail another prisoner
who had passed 28 out of the 35 years of life in Jail
without a trial.
The man, Mukhtar, was arrested in an attempt to murder
case in 1952 in Kohat and was sentenced to seven years
hard labour.
After a year and a half in the D. I. Khan Jail, he was
sent to the Peshawar Jail, where he remained for the
next 18 years.
Finally, when someone noticed his continued incarceration,
he was released in 1970 but was arrested in Karachi
again.
Mukhtar, who had land and business in Kohat, said he
was framed by someone on the attempt to murder charge
and was thus convicted in Kohat. The same man later
followed him to Karachi and had him arrested again on
an attempt to murder charge.
Not only was the second charge never proved; he was
never tried.
During these years, he lost all his property, and he
has no idea where his family is.
A district bench of the Sindh High Court, which acquitted
him on Monday, remarked: "There is no mention
of any remand order having been issued by any court.
Therefore, the detenue has been kept in detention without
any lawful authority.
"It has also been stated that he is under trial,
but no documents to that effect have been shown by the
Advocate General or the Home Department.
"We are very sorry to state that it is a very unfortunate
case in which a person has been unnecessarily detained
for a long time without any justification.
Mukhtar was a Subedar Major in the (British) Indian
Army.
While talking to newsmen outside the High Court,
Mukhtar said "Today I am a free man only because
of Mr Ansar Burney and Ansar Burney Welfare Trust.
Ansar Burney, Advocate, thanked High Court of Sindh
and said I am greatful of Almighty Allah that one more
man got justice because of Ansar Burney Welfare Trust.
He said Mukhtar is a free man after 35 long years. He
spent his 35 precious years of his life in the prison
on a crime he never committed.
Mukhtar Ali will now stay in the Center of Ansar Burney
Welfare Trust International as a free man after 35 long
years.
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An innocent
Meher Din spent 31 years in Prison without any crime,
never produced in any court of law;
Will the Real Mehar Din Please Stand
up !
Daily Dawn; Friday, May 15, 1987
By Mohammad Ali Siddiqi
KARACHI, May 14: He was a burly young man -- barely
20 -- when the Lahore police picked him up on a murder
charge that never was proved. He came out of the Karachi
Central Jail this week --- a man of 40 broken in mind,
spirit and body.
His only fault was he bore a name that was also the
name of a murderer in a case that had nothing to do
with Meher Din.
"Are you Meher Din?" the Lahore Police asked
him in 1966.
"Yes", he replied.
"Where do you live?"
"In Badami Bagh", he answered.
"Is not your father's name Imam Din?"
"No my father's name is Yameen".
"You are not Meher Din son of Imam Dinwho has committed
a murder?"
"No, I am Meher Din, son of Yameen, and I have
killed NO one."
"Well", replied the police man, "you
come with us anyway."
Meher Din and his brother Yasin were arrested for murder
and tried -- but acquitted. Nevertheless, they passed
four agonising years in Jail, for no fault of theirs,
except that the police insisted there was little difference
between Meher Din son of Imam Din and Meher Din son
of Yameen.
This was, however, not to be the end of our Meher Din's
miseries. Four years later, the Karachi police told
Lahore police they were looking for some Meher Din son
of Imam Din in yet another murder case. The Lahore police
said they had one, and promptly sent Meher Din son of
Yameen to the Karachi Police, which locked him up in
the Central Jail, which was to be his home for the next
17 years.
Years of confinement, hard labour, poor food and regular
beatings, despite his innocence, gradually turned what
once was the Pakistan Railsway's conscientious interlocking
cleaner into a physically broken middle-aged man who
wonderedwhat fate had in store for him.
For years he had no news of his brother and of his sister,
Sardaran, in Lahore, not to speak of the little sisters
he had left behind long ago in Saharanpur and Malir
Kothla in India.
Because of his arrest, the Railway asked him to vacate
the Railways home he was occupying, and he often wondered
on which Lahore sidewalk his family was passing its
life.
Finally, as incarceration and beatings continued, with
a court trial nowhere in sight, Meher Din cracked up
in 1977 and was transferred to the Psychiatric Ward
known to the prisoners as "Charya Ward".
Ansar Burney, who has been crusading for years for improving
conditions in Jails, said "When it comes to beating,
there is only a marginal diferrence between Charya Ward
inmates and the 'normal' prisoners. Both are subjected
to torture and beating, the difference being only one
of degree."
Burney wrote to high ups in the Sind administration
when he came to know of Meher Din's case and finally
succedded in getting him out of Jail when a Court tried
and acquitted him on May 09.
"You had to see Meher Din then to realise the difference
between what he was then and what he is now. He is now
almost cured," said Burney.
Unlike his face, which gives traces of abnormality,
Meher Din's responses appeared quite normal and the
answers to questions did not take long to come.
He is now keen to go to Lahore, and Burney says he would
try to find where Meher Din's family was.
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18 Women
self-immolation matter; Govt contacted Ansar Burney
Trust:
KARACHI, March 26, 2004 (HRNI)
The Chief Minister of Sindh, Director General Rangers
Major General Javed Zia, Home Secretary Anwar Hussain,
Additional Secretary Home Rasheed Alam, Additional IG
Police Sindh Asad Ashraf Malik, DIG Karachi Police Tariq
Jameel, KESC officials and other high officials on Friday
contacted renowned human rights activist Ansar Burney,
Advocate and assured their all out co-operation in solving
the real problems of 18 women who announced for self-immolation
against government policies, poverty and attitude of
society towards poor.
As many as 18 women have threatened self-immolation
to point out all the social and economic ills afflicting
the masses in the most profound of manner, and to bring
to the fore the ‘rulers’ apathy’ towards
the travails of the toiling masses, in front of the
Mazar-e-Quaid at Karachi on Sunday at 4 pm.
Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International has now made
a request to those 18 women who announced self-immolation,
on Sunday 28th March at Mazar-e-Quaid Karachi, against
government policies, poverty and attitude of society
towards poor people to contact Ansar Burney Welfare
Trust International before taking any step.
“After the announcement from the Government to
solve the grievances of those 18 women, now there should
be no need to take any step for suicide from them”.
Said Ansar Burney.
The Chairman of the Trust, Ansar Burney, Advocate has
appealed to the 18 women that before taking this step,
they must take him into confidence as he is in a position
to solve the problems these women want to bring to government
notice.
This will be a symbolic protest against unemployment,
poverty injustice corruption, and prejudice behavior
of the society and government towards the poor people.
The names of the women are: Mst. Zarina Junejo (35),
Ambreen Naz (30), Mehreen Zia (25), Sahiba Baloch (32),
Ghazala Siddiqui (31), Izhari Begum (35), Farhat Yasmeen
(28), Anjum Abbas (24), Shazia Naz (22), Baby Lohar
(27), Farha Naqvi (26), Amber Zaidi (23), Sadaf Shakeel
(29), Nasreen Shah (24), Afzal Shah (27), Fehmida Memon
(23), Anjum Abbas (30) and Fouzia Munir (22).
Ansar Burney has, however, finalised the arrangements
for this day to provide any assistance with regard to
the doctors, ambulances, and fire brigades.
Polish
Foreign Spokesman phoned to Ansar Burney:
KARACHI, March 24, 2004
The Polish Foreign spokesman Miesky from Warsaw, phoned
to renowned human and civil rights activist Ansar Burney,
Advocate on Wednesday, and on behalf of Polish Foreign
Minister, informed him that Polish police has released
two Pakistanis arrested on terrorism charges on Sunday.
The very in-time intervention of Pakistan’s human
rights organization Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International
has saved two innocent Pakistanis from facing terrorism
charges in Poland.
After came to know on Monday, March 22, about the arrest
of two innocent Pakistanis in Poland, the ‘human
rights Angel’ Ansar Burney, Advocate immediately
contacted Polish Foreign Minister W£ODZIMIERZ
CIMOSZEWICZ and Interior Minister JÓZEF OLEKSY
respectively and requested for the release of innocents
in the greater interest of human rights.
On Wednesday the Polish spokesman phoned to Ansar Burney
and informed him that two Pakistanis had been released.
Ansar
Burney’s intervention saved two Pakistanis in
Poland:
ISLAMABAD, March 24, 2004
The very in-time intervention of Pakistan’s human
rights organization Ansar Burney Welfare Trust International
has saved two innocent Pakistanis from facing terrorism
charges in Poland.
On Monday, March 22, after came to know about the arrest
of two innocent Pakistanis in Poland, the ‘human
rights Angel’ Ansar Burney, Advocate immediately
contacted Polish Foreign Minister W£ODZIMIERZ
CIMOSZEWICZ and Interior Minister JÓZEF OLEKSY
respectively and requested for the release of innocents
in the greater interest of human rights.
Later Polish police released two Pakistanis and a Ukrainian
who were picked up for terrorism charges in Warsaw.
The innocent Pakistanis were detained Sunday on terrorism
charges.
PM
asked FM to collect 'dead bodies' from Muscat mountains:
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 11, 2004
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
has took a serious note of the ‘dead bodies’
of poor Pakistani labourers lying and decaying on the
mountains of Muscat. He also noticed misbehaviour with
Pakistani nationals in Middle East and Arab Countries
and asked the Pakistani Embassies to ensure respect
of each and every Pakistani.
Prime Minister on Wednesday morning contacted Pakistan’s
renowned human rights activist Ansar Burney, Advocate
on telephone to get aware the situation.
Prime Minister lauded the great efforts of ‘human
rights Angel’ Ansar Burney, Advocate in the field
of humanity and human rights around the globe and seeks
his help and assistance in collecting the dead bodies,
skeletons and bones of poor Pakistanis from Muscat and
UAE mountains, who lost their precious lives because
of hunger and thirst.
After getting huge amount these Pakistanis were taken
by the cruel agents as illegal immigrants on a dream
of brighter future in Middle East countries and later
left them on high mountains of Muscat and UAE, where
these innocents lost their lives in a miserable condition
because of thirst and hunger and animals were now eating
their body. Some of these Pakistanis were killed by
the agents themselves and some were killed by Boarder
security forces.
Prime Minister Shujaat is the first Premier of Pakistan
who took a serious note of this inhuman treatment with
Pakistanis at abroad. He called it a worst kind of human
rights violation and asked all the Embassies to ensure
full and complete respect of all Pakistanis abroad.
Prime Minister requested with the Chairman of the Ansar
Burney Welfare Trust International and Prisoners Aid
Society, Ansar Burney to go to Muscat and collect all
the dead bodies, skeletons and bones of human beings
and made arrangements for their funeral.
He asked the Pakistan Embassy at Muscat to provide
all necessary help and assistance to Ansar Burney, Advocate
in this regard.
Prime Minister said he was grieved and feel sorrow
on this pathetic issue. He requested to Ansar Burney
to help Pakistan government for the betterment of human
rights situation.
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