Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KARACHI869
2007-12-18 17:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Karachi
Cable title:  

CONTINUING ORDEAL OF MUNIR MALIK

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL PK 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4872
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKP #0869 3521759
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181759Z DEC 07
FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0221
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 3838
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0209
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 2424
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4298
C O N F I D E N T I A L KARACHI 000869 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PK
SUBJECT: CONTINUING ORDEAL OF MUNIR MALIK

Classified By: Kay Anske, Consul General, for 1.4 (b) (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L KARACHI 000869

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PK
SUBJECT: CONTINUING ORDEAL OF MUNIR MALIK

Classified By: Kay Anske, Consul General, for 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Former Supreme Court Bar Association
President Munir Malik has been released from detention and
hopes to travel from hospital to the UK for treatment of
renal failure. Malik alleges that he is suffering due to
abuse he received while in jail; the government claims this
is a pre-existing condition. His family claims the
government deliberately delayed his passport renewal, further
endangering Malik's health. End summary.


2. (U) Munir Malik, former President of the Supreme Court
Bar Association and one of the attorneys for former Chief
Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, was taken into custody on
November 3, just after the imposition of the State of
Emergency (SOE). He told CG December 9 that while in jail, he
was subjected to various hardships that allegedly resulted in
severe damage to his kidneys. The GOP claims this is related
to a pre-existing condition. On November 25, he was ordered
released from Attock Jail (in Punjab) and admitted to the
Pakistan Institute of Medical Services (PIMS) in Islamabad.
He was recently transferred to the Sindh Institute of Urology
and Transplantation (SIUT) in Karachi.


3. (SBU) Due to renal failure, Malik is undergoing frequent
dialysis; Mrs. Malik told CG that the Maliks hoped to go the
UK for treatment. However, Malik,s passport had to be
extended/renewed before he could travel. According to Mrs.
Malik, the Pakistan Passport Office required him to
personally appear, despite his precarious medical condition.
When he arrived at the Passport Office on December 12, he was
made to wait for several hours and then told that nothing
could be done as the computer was down. Mrs. Malik
complained to the CG that the GoP was just dragging its feet,
further endangering her husband,s life. They had hoped that
the passport would be ready and that they could leave on
December 14. The passport has now been extended and the
Maliks have flight reservations for December 26.


4. (C) Comment: Malik has been interviewed on TV from his
hospital bedside and December 8 published a lengthy article
for a local newspaper alleging ill-treatment (but no torture
as has been reported in some press articles) while in
detention. In the past few months before the State of
Emergency, Malik was noticeably intoxicated during meetings
with visiting codels and Poloffs. He reported that both he
and his family had been under pressure because of his
involvement in defending the former Chief Justice.
ANSKE