Tuesday, 20 December 2018
H.E. Mme. Michelle Bachelet Jeria,
High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENQUIRY COMMISSION ON THE MASSACRE OF ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL (APS) CHILDREN IN PAKISTAN
Your Excellency,
We the representatives of Pashtun people and office bearers of Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), strongly condemn the massacre of children of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar Pakistan.
On the 70th Anniversary of UDHR, when the whole world is renewing its commitment for protection and promotion of Human Rights, we, Pashtun people are mourning the deaths of 144 School-children ranging between 8 and 18 years of age, who were killed in cold blood by Taliban on December 14, 2014.
We have strong reservations and doubts on what happened at the most secured and protected area situated in an Army Garrison of Pakistan. The security forces did not respond in time and even created hurdles for other law enforcing Agencies to protect the children and their teachers from being killed by Terrorists. Furthermore, innocent people were implicated in the case and sentenced to death by controversial Military Courts (a parallel judicial system created by Military to present Judiciary) to hush up the case. The spokesperson of Taliban Mr. Ehsanullah Ehsan, who claimed the responsibility for the massacre is a VIP guest of Pakistan Army.
The government of Pakistan under pressure from Military Establishment is trying to hush the matter under the carpet. Keeping in mind the suspicious circumstances in which this massacre took place, we believe that Pakistani Military has been involved in this massacre of innocent school going children.
Pakistani Military is intimidating and threatening directly and indirectly the leadership of PTM, the journalists and media out-lets from reporting on this serious incident. That is why, On December 12, 2018 two websites of VOA were blocked by Pakistani authorities as punishment for covering the activities of PTM, including demanding justice for APS massacre.
Our 3 other similar demands which need your attention are as under;
We are demanding our basic fundamental Human Rights as guaranteed by International Human Rights Law, UN declaration of Human Rights, UN Convention on Child rights and other relevant conventions and treaties to which the State of Pakistan is a signatory.
We request to all the civilized countries of world, International Human Rights Organizations and particularly United Nations to establish an independent UN Enquiry Commission and put pressure on Pakistan to Establish a 3 Member Judicial Commission of Supreme Court of Pakistan on APS massacre to unearth the truth, find the culprits and punish them in the courts of law.
Best Regards
PTM ADVOCAY COMMITTE EUROPE & Khyper Pakhtunkhwa:
Fazal ur Rehman AFRIDI
President PTM France
EMAIL: [email protected]