[sacw] Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stopped from publishing

[Harsh Kapoor]

May 25, 1999
Forwarded by South Asia Citizens Web for SAFHR.
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HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN STOPPED FROM PUBLISHING ITS NEWSLETTER.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), one of the largest and most
effective human rights NGOs in South Asia has come under attack from the
Pakistan Government. The Government of Pakistan's Punjab province, has
recently stopped HRCP from publishing its quarterly newsletter. This has
been done apparently because HRCP had not submitted two copies of the
newsletter to the Home Department of the Punjab Government. The Punjab
Government claims that a notice was issued to HRCP some time ago.

However, HRCP's Executive Director Mr. I A. Rehman has said that no such
notice was received by HRCP. He has also pointed out that HRCP has been
regularly sending copies of all its publications to the concerned
departments of the Provincial Government of Punjab as well as to those of
the Federal Government of Pakistan. Mr. Rehman told us that the order
stopping publication of HRCP's quarterly newsletter was illegal as it was
issued under an ordinance which was withdrawn in 1997. He felt that the
move was a part of the government's policy of harassment of human rights
organisations.

SAFHR was informed by a spokesperson of HRCP today about further attempts
to harass HRCP. Last week, in Peshawar, the provincial capital of North
West Frontier Province of Pakistan the local police registered a complaint
which implicates the Chairperson of HRCP, Ms. Asma Jahangir and her sister
Ms. Hina Jilani in the murder of Ms. Samia Sarwar/Imran. On April 6, 1999,
Ms. Samia was brutally murdered in broad daylight in the office of AGHS
Legal Aid Centre in Lahore Ms. Asma Jahangir and Ms. Hina Jilani who are
associates of AGHS Leagal Aid Centre were defending the late Ms. Samia
Sarwar in a case against her family which refused to recognise her
marriage to a person outside her tribe. The family members of Ms. Samia
had threatened to kill both her and her husband. The killing had taken
place in the law office when she had gone to consult Ms. Hina Jilani, her
lawyer. The killers of Ms. Samia Sarwar have not been apprehended till
date. They have also threatened to kill Ms. Jahangir and Ms. Jilani. Now
the Peshwar police have lodged a camplaint against them as accomplices in
the murder of Ms. Samia Sarwar. It appears that the authorities are
determined to put pressure on leading human rights activists in Pakistan.

This information is released by SAFHR <south@s...> to seek
your support and solidarity. You may also contact HRCP at 
<hrcplhe@b...>. Ms. Asma Jahangir is the Chairperson of HRCP. Mr.
I. A. Rehman is the Executive Director.

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