Pakistan urged to release brother of pro-Imran Khan human rights lawyer

Journalists, human rights figures and British MPs are calling on the Pakistani authorities to release the brother of prominent human rights lawyer Shahzad Akbar, days after he was allegedly abducted from his home and arbitrarily detained.

Shahzad said in a tweet on Sunday that although he was not currently in the country, his house in Islamabad was raided and his younger brother, Murad, was “kidnapped” by dozens of armed police and guards. paramilitaries and was being held incommunicado.

The letter was released on Wednesday with signatories including former Channel 4 New journalist Jon Snow, former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, Middle East Eye writer Peter Oborne and MPs Chris Bryant and David Davis.

“We call on the Pakistani authorities to immediately release Murad Akbar, who we believe is arbitrarily detained and at risk of torture, disappearance and death,” the letter to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said.

“We also call on the UK government, the European Union and the wider international community to call for Murad’s immediate release and to condemn this appalling act of intimidation against a renowned human rights defender.”

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Shahzad, who was previously an adviser in former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, told MEE he believed his brother’s detention was an intimidation tactic to induce him to become a witness in a case against Khan.

“He had nothing to do with politics or public life and has serious health and mental health issues,” Shahzad, a legal resident of the UK, said of his brother Murad.

“Now after three days there is no news of him and his whereabouts because in many cases of enforced disappearances there is total denial.”

Shahzad said this was a critical time and in his own experience of dealing with enforced disappearances, the first two weeks were the best chance of securing a person’s release.

“If you don’t succeed during this time, then I’m afraid it’s [going to be] a long disappearance, and it’s not controlled,” he said.

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The decision against Murad comes as legal challenges continue to mount against former Prime Minister Khan, weeks after his May 9 arrest prompted his supporters to storm key military installations, including the neighborhood army general in protest.

Dozens of former lawmakers from Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have since distanced themselves from the former prime minister. Khan and his supporters allege that the country’s military is forcing PTI members to withdraw from the party.

And more than 4,000 of his supporters have been arrested in a nationwide crackdown, including senior PTI leaders and journalists.

One of these journalists, Sami Abrahim, was released and returned home on Tuesday after being missing for a week. The fate of another journalist, Imran Riaz Khan, remains unknown after he disappeared three weeks ago.

In many previous periods in Pakistan, individuals such as journalists and human rights activists have been arbitrarily detained, arrested or disappeared, including during Khan’s tenure as prime minister.

The current situation worries right-wing groups, as Pakistan plans to hold trials in military courts closed to media and other observers.

Several government ministers have also said a proposal is being considered to ban the Khans party, a move that is likely to cause further political unrest in a country facing an imminent economic default as its currency has fallen 40% against to the US dollar since last year.

“The place has turned into total tyranny without any rules from the courts and the courts are also under attack,” Shahzad said.

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