Pakistan:ISI plotted to murder Asma Jahangir

June 6, 2012

Baroness Catherine Ashton
High Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Vice-President of the European Commission
European Union

Dear High Representative Ashton,

I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem News.com. In past I have brought different incidents of the harassment, intimidation, use of coercion, violence, and other abuses against members of the media by state security forces in Pakistan.

I am writing to express concern regarding yet another case serious attempt by security agency to murder Pakistan's most renowned human rights activist Asma Jahangir.

Asma Jahangir, a lawyer who formerly chaired the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, has been a staunch advocate of media freedom and journalists' rights. She has long been the target of Pakistanis of many different sorts who resent her criticism of the social and political imbalances that mar Pakistan's society.

Asma Jahangir has revealed the details regarding the threat in an interview with Deutsche Welle. Asma was interview by shamil shams, where she has made clear about the very serious allegations against the Pakistani security agencies, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). She said "I am a very responsible person, and I do not usually make these kinds of allegations. I have been threatened many times in my life but I never went to the police and never made any hue and cry about it. I believe now it is my duty to speak up and say what is needed to be said. My sources are extremely reliable."

She has also discussed about the possible reasons for the attempt to murder. She said "It is true that I have been critical of them but I have never been unduly critical. I am critical of their policies, which I do not agree with. I think that, in whatever I have said – for instance in my role as a lawyer in the missing people's cases – I have repeated what people said in court. I hoped that there would be a change in the mindset of the establishment, which unfortunately doesn't appear to have happened."

Asma has revealed the ongoing impunity and role of the government in the interview . She said "Well, I have sent a very clear message to the Pakistan People's Party's government that they are the ones who are responsible for my protection, and if my protection is not adequate I will hold them responsible. So far, some protection has been provided to me but it is not sufficient. And more importantly, I have communicated to the government that it is not for me to go to the intelligence agencies and speak to them; it is the government's duty to talk to them. And they should not do it only for me but to change the way they deal with the people of Pakistan."

Asma has revealed the absent of rule of law and rule of ISI in her interview , where in answering the question You are a prominent human rights activist and lawyer. Do you think the ISI and other security agencies could kill an internationally renowned person like yourself?, she said "Let me remind you of our history. Prominent people have been killed in Pakistan just like in any other country. The difference between Pakistan and other countries is that in Pakistan nobody ever knows who is responsible for these murders. Akbar Bugti (the Baloch nationalist leader) was also a very prominent person. There was a warning that he would be killed. There was a warning that they would go after him. And when he was actually killed, nobody was held responsible."

The interview has revealed the seriousness of the threat to murder Asma.

EU knows that Pakistan faces serious human rights challenges, including widespread killings, disappearances, and targeting of religious minorities and this specific incident attempt or plotting to murder the prominent human rights activist shows how bad in shape the protection a right to life is in Pakistan, the presence of a dysfunctional state mechanism and absence of rule of law.

I will quote what Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director at Human Rights Watch said. "A threat against Jahangir is a threat to all those in Pakistan who struggle for human rights and the rule of law."

I urge you during your meeting with the Pakistani high official, please ask them to immediately insure the security of Asma Jahangir and order an investigation on the plot against Asma Jahangir and hold all those responsible to account, regardless of position or rank. Please ask the Pakistan government to take immediate initiative to bring   all intelligence agencies made accountable through "parliamentary oversight."

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

William Nicholas Gomes

Human Rights Ambassador for Salem News.com

Salem-News.com
P.O. Box 5238
Salem, Oregon 97304

www.williamgomes.org

http://www.williamgomes.org/pakistanisi-plotted-to-muder-asma-jahangir/

-- 
William Nicholas Gomes
Journalist & Human Rights Activist 
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