KARACHI: The Human Rights activists, Civil Society Members, Academia and Trade Unionists has strongly condemned the brutal murder of Professor Hasan Zafar Arif and demanded to Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to bring the facts behind his killing.

The Human Rights activists, members of Civil Society stated that Professor Hasan Zafar Arif went missing on Saturday evening on January 13, 2018 and his dead body was found near Rehri Goth in his car on early Sunday Morning. This was the Sindh government and state intelligence agencies responsibility to investigate the motives of killing of Hasan Zafar Arif and bring culprits in Public, they added.

While Speaking to a news conference at Karachi Press Club here on Tuesday HRCP Sindh Chapter Vice Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt along with Sheema Kermani, Karamat Ali, Dr, Riaz, Mehnaz Rehman, Nasir Mansoor, Nida Kermani and other said that” The state intelligence agencies disappearing people by force, the state force violating country’s law. Force disappearance and extra Judiciary killings of academia, Human Rights activists and journalists going on in Pakistan, he said.

Asad Butt said “Hasan Zafar Arif was the first Coordinator of HRCP in Karachi and served a human Rights activist for the people of Karachi. The intellectuals, Human Right activists, Journalists, teachers and students who raised their voice for the freedom of expression were facing force disappearance from the state agencies. Extra judiciary killings and force disappearances creating a restlessness among the people of Karachi, HRCP Vice Chairperson highlighted.

Renowned artist and Human Right activist Sheema Kermani said that “ I don’t know what kind of people and society the state agencies actually want in Pakistan. Teachers, socialists, right activists were being killed as they raised their voice for their basic rights in Pakistan. The Murder of Hasan Zafar Arif was state terrorism.

the people who are decent they state forces won’t let them alive in Pakistan. The Killing of Hasan Zafar Arif was a state terror. The state agencies feared with educated people,the Intelligence agencies were harassing the people and force disappearing them in Pakistan, she said.

The Human Right representatives said that Prof Hasan Zafar Arif always argued for freedom of expression and freedom of association and was jailed and removed from Karachi University for organizing resistance to military rule of General Zia-ul-Haq. Killing to suppress such a sane voice as that of Zafar Arif, a man who always advocated nonviolence, is a horrific sign that the state and society has reached yet another low in its measures to reject dissent.

National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Nasir Mansoor said that“Hasan Zafar Arif’s brutal murder was failure of Sindh government and state forces. Broadminded people were received threats from the security agencies. The force disappearances of activists should be stopped now, he demands.

Karamat Ali of PILER, Dr, Riaz, Professor Dr, Tauseef Ahmed Khan, Nida Kermani, Mehnaz Rehman, Saeed Baloch, Manzoor Razi and others also spoke at the occasion.

Later, A large number of Human Right activists, students, teachers and members of civil society staged a protest demonstration against the killing of Professor Hasan Zafar Arif out side of press club.

The Civil society members were holding placards and chanting slogans against the murder of HRCP founding Member Hasan Zafar Arif. They demanded to Chief Justice of Pakistan and high authorities to bring the culprits who were involved in the murder of Hasan Zafar.