Pakistan lawmakers seek probe into disappearances of four activists
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 January 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistan lawmakers seek probe into disappearances of four activists, 10 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a41724.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 10, 2017
Pakistani human rights activists hold images of missing activist Salman Haider during a protest in Karachi.
Opposition lawmakers in Pakistan have called for an investigation into the disappearance last week of four activists, including a prominent university professor who has been critical of the Taliban and of the government's efforts against militants.
Five Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmakers raised concerns in parliament on January 9 over the disappearance of poet and rights activist Salman Haider and three others.
"The pattern of these disappearances suggests that it is a planned and coordinated action undertaken to silence voices which are critical of prevalent sociopolitical issues in Pakistan," the lawmakers of the left-leaning PPP said without specifically implicating anyone.
Haider disappeared on January 6 in Islamabad, his brother said. Last year, Haider wrote a poem about human rights abuses in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province and questioned whether he might become a victim himself.
He had also participated in protests against disappearances of nationalists and separatists from Balochistan. The fate of many of these people remains unknown.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said that "everything is being done to recover Salman." He did not respond to requests for comment about the other activists, Reuters reported.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
