Pakistan: The arrest of Qari Abdul Hai (alias Qari Asadullah, Talha) on 29 May 2003 in Muzaffargarh, near Multan; whether he was released or kept in custody after his arrest; his current status (2003 - 2006)
Qari Abdul Hai, also known as Qari Abdul Hayee (Gulf News 31 May 2003), Qari Asad (Dawn 30 May 2003), Qari Asadullah (Daily Times 14 Aug. 2006) and Qari Abdul Hye or Talhaj (PPI 21 June 2003), was the head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (AP 2 June 2003; Asia Times Online 9 July 2003; Gulf News 31 May 2003; Chicago Tribune 30 May 2003; RSF 3 May 2004), a banned militant group (ibid.; MIPT n.d.; AP 30 May 2003; Chicago Tribune 30 May 2003). Information indicating whether Qari Abdul Hai is still currently head of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
Qari Abdul Hai was arrested on 29 May 2003 for allegedly murdering six Shiites in 1994 (RSF 3 May 2004; Gulf News 31 May 2003; Dawn 3 June 2003). Media sources indicate that Qari Abdul Hai was arrested during a "surprise raid" (Asia Times Online 9 July 2003; SATP n.d.; Gulf News 31 May 2003) at a bus station in Muzaffargarh (AP 30 May 2003; ibid. 2 June 2003; Chicago Tribune 30 May 2003). Qari Abdul Hai was suspected of involvement in the kidnapping and killing of the American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002; however, he was never charged in connection with this case (The News 3 June 2003; RSF 3 May 2004; AP 2 June 2003).
Sources reported that Qari Abdul Hai was subject to a bounty worth between $34,485 [unspecified currency] (AP 30 May 2003) and 2 million rupees (PKR) [CAD 47,440 (Canada 30 May 2003)] (Dawn 30 May 2003; Gulf News 31 May 2003). Qari Abdul Hai was convicted for the 1994 crimes in absentia and sentenced to the death penalty (Dawn 3 June 2003; Gulf News 31 May 2003; The News 3 June 2003) in 1998 (AP 2 June 2003). Qari Abdul Hai was remanded to custody until 2 June 2003 (Gulf News 31 May 2003; Dawn 3 June 2003) when he was brought to court to discover that he had been convicted and sentenced to the death penalty (The News 3 June 2003; AP 2 June 2003). The Pakistani newspaper, Dawn, reports that Qari Abdul Hai advised the court that he had not appealed his conviction to which the court responded by returning him to prison to serve his sentence (3 June 2003).
Another article from Dawn published in October 2004 indicates that the Punjab government issued a list of "terrorists" wanted for arrest on which Qari Abdul Hai appeared with a bounty of 1 million PKR [CAD 20,560 (Canada 20 Oct. 2004)] (20 Oct. 2004). Additional information as to whether Qari was released after his arrest in May 2003 could not be found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
In July 2005, an article appearing in a Pakistani monthly news magazine stated that "[t]he organisation's [Lashkar-e-Jhangvi] top tier leadership, including ... Qari Abdul Hai ... is either dead or behind bars" (Herald July 2005).
The most recent information about Qari Abdul Hai found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate appears in a Daily Times article from August 2006. The article states that British and Pakistani intelligence agents questioned prisoners "involved in sectarian violence," including Qari Asadullah, regarding the use of charitable organizations for financing terrorism (Daily Times 14 Aug. 2006). Additional information as to the current status of Qari Abdul Hai could not be found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Asia Times Online [Hong Kong]. 9 July 2003. Kanchan Lakshman. "Deep Roots to Pakistan's Sectarian Terror." <http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EG09Df09.html> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
Associated Press (AP). 2 June 2003. Khalid Tanveer. "Suspect in Pearl Case Brought to Court." (Factiva)
_____. 30 May 2003. Khalid Tanveer. "Official: Suspect Planned Attacks." (Factiva)
Canada. 20 October 2004. Bank of Canada. "Currency Conversion Results." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/cgi-bin/famecgi_fdps> [Accessed 15 Sept. 2006]
_____. 30 May 2003. Bank of Canada. "Currency Conversion Results." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/cgi-bin/famecgi_fdps> [Accessed 15 Sept. 2006]
Chicago Tribune. 30 May 2003. "Militant Held in Reporter's Murder." (Factiva)
Daily Times [Lahore]. 14 August 2006. "More Arrests as Another UK Charity Being Probed." <http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2006\08\14\ story_14-8-2006_pg1_2> [Accessed 15 Sept. 2006]
Dawn [Karachi]. 20 October 2004. Zulqernain Tahir. "Punjab Govt Lists 110 'Wanted Terrorists'." <http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/20/nat11.htm> [15 Sept. 2006]
_____. 3 June 2003. "LJ Man Sent to Jail." <http://www.dawn.com/2003/06/03/nat23.htm> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
_____. 30 May 2003. "Terrorism Convict Arrested." <http://www.dawn.com/2003/05/30/top14.htm> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
Gulf News [Dubai]. 31 May 2003. "Hayee Arrest May Lead to His Accomplices - Police." <http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/03/05/31/89058.html> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
Herald [Karachi]. July 2005. Syed Shoaib Hasan. "Under Wraps." <http://www.dawn.com/herald/jul05.htm> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT). N.d. Terrorism Knowledge Base (TKB). "Group Profile: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi." <http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=65> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
The News [Pakistan]. 3 June 2003. "Pearl Kidnapping Suspect Appears in Pakistan Court." (Factiva/BBC Monitoring)
Pakistan Press International (PPI). 21 June 2003. "120 Shia Personalities Were on Hit List, LJ Activist Tells Police." (Factiva)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 3 May 2004. "Pakistan." 2004 Annual Report. <http://www.rsf.org/print.php3?id_article=10214> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP). N.d. "Pakistan Timeline - Year 2003." <http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/timeline/2003.htm> [Accessed 14 Sept. 2006]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan did not provide information within the time constraints.
Internet sources, including: Amnesty International, Asian Human Rights Commission, AsiaSource, Borr: News Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, Committee to Protect Journalists, Factiva, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, International Freedom of Expression Exchange, Jane's Intelligence Review, Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan, PakTribune, Southasianews.com, South Asia Analysis Group, United States Department of State.