Prime Minister Gilani

Pakistan Secretariat
Constitution Avenue
Islamabad
Pakistan

Dear Prime Minister

On 25 June 2004 Atiq-ur Rehman, a scientist working for Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission, went to the market to buy food for his wedding guests. He was due to be married later that day but he never returned home. According to police, he is being held in the custody of an intelligence agency.

When Atiq-ur Rehman’s family approached the local police, they were told they could not lodge a complaint. Instead, he was declared missing. The police appear not to have investigated his disappearance. Various officials have met with the family but have simply referred them to another authority. Army officials advised them to keep quiet and avoid publicity and legal proceedings.

In June 2006 his family filed a habeas corpus petition with the Lahore High Court. During a hearing in the Supreme Court on 11 May 2007, the Deputy Attorney General stated that Atiq-ur Rehman was untraceable.

I urge the Pakistani authorities to make known the whereabouts of Atiq-ur Rehman to his family.

Please make sure that he is either released immediately, or charged with a recognizably criminal offence and given a fair trail.

Yours sincerely,

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