ISLAMABAD: Four UN special rapporteurs on human rights have urged the government of Pakistan to investigate “the death in un­clear circumstances of former senator Usman Kakar”, as well as his presence in an alleged “Kill List”.

In a joint letter written on Dec 27 last year, which was made public this week, the rapporteurs had urged the government to reply within 60 days. Failing this, they said, “this communication and any response received from the government will be made public and also made available in the report to the Human Rights Council”.

“On 17 June 2021, Usman Kakar, a member of the Pashtun minority, a former Senator and regional lea­der of the nationalist Pakh­tun­kh­­wa Milli Awami Party, was found in his house in Quetta, Balochistan, with blood flowing from a head injury. The cause of the head injury is unknown. However, there are concerns that he could have been attacked,” the letter said.

Mr Kakar had previously recei­ved death threats, and referred to them as coming from intelligence agencies in his final speech in parliament, the letter said.

The UN officials who signed the letter include Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; me­­mbers of Working Group on Enforced or Involun­t­ary Disappear­ances and Special Rapporteur on minority issues.

About the alleged “Kill List” the Special Rappo­r­teurs said: “The list of at least ten individuals was published in a Facebook post by the former spokesperson of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).”

The TTP spokesperson, Ehsan­ullah Ehsan, had in a Facebook post in June/July, 2021, alleged that while in captivity he was given a list of about 10 people who were required to be eliminated for their “anti-state activities”.

The list, according to Ehsan­ullah Ehsan, included former senators Afrasiab Khattak and Far­h­a­tullah Babar, political activist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Said Alam Mehsud, and Mufti Kifa­yatullah. Ehsanullah Ehsan also claimed that he had declined to carry out the assassination orders.

Soon after the social media posts by Ehsanullah Ehsan, both Farhatullah Babar and Afrasiab Khattak had agitated the matter before the human rights committees of the National Assembly and Senate as well as the FIA. However, nothing came out of it.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2023