Dear Indra,
When 28-year-old Hamid found out that his friend was being forced into an unwanted marriage, he went to Pakistan to help her -- and disappeared. It's been more than a year since anyone has heard from Hamid, and his parents think he has been wrongfully detained. But instead of helping, the authorities are refusing to answer questions from his parents or to investigate his disappearance.
Hamid's parents asked for my help, so I started a petition on Care2 asking the authorities in India and Pakistan to investigate his disappearance. Click here to sign my petition..
I'm a lawyer and I work on cases of wrongful detention in Pakistan. Every year, dozens of innocent people from India are arrested by Pakistani police on dubious charges of spying. Many are wrongfully held for years, and some are even tortured. Hamid's parents are afraid that their son will suffer the same fate as Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was wrongly detained and then killed in prison.
By law, India is required to protect citizens like Hamid, and detainees in Pakistan must be given legal representation -- but so far, neither country is taking any action to return Hamid to his family.
It's up to us to shine a light on Hamid's story and demand action now, before it's too late. Online pressure has helped prompt the release of other detainees, including Sunil James, an Indian Merchant Navy Captain, who was released from a prison in Togo after the Indian government had done nothing to help him.
If enough of us speak up, I know that officials in India and Pakistan will be forced to act and help Hamid's family bring him home. Please add your name to my petition to demand the release and return of Hamid Ansari.
 | Thank you for taking action,
Jas Uppal
Care2 Member |
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