Front Line is gravely concerned by the information received concerning the arbitrary arrest of 55 human rights defenders, the house arrest of Ms Asma Jahangir, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, as well as the impending arrest warrant that has been issued against Ms Hina Jilani, Vice Chairperson of the HRCP and United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on the situation of human rights defenders.

Further Information

On 3 November 2007, the same evening as a state of emergency was called by President General Pervez Musharraf, Asma Jahangir and 55 others were arrested at the head office of the HRCP in Lahore, and taken to the Model Town Police Station. A first Information Report (FIR) #843/2007, dated 4-11-07 was lodged under sections 146/147 and 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), at Garden Town Police Station. Asma Jahangir was put under a 90-days preventative order [SO (IS-I) 3-24/200] by the Home Department of the Government of Punjab and is currently under house arrest, reportedly to prevent her from making "inflammatory speeches". The 55 lawyers and human rights defenders named below were sent to Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore from where they were released at 7.30 pm on 6 November 2007. A house arrest warrant has also reportedly been issued against Hina Jilani who is currently out of the country. It is believed that she will face arrest upon her return.

The following others were confirmed as arrested and subsequently released: Mr I. A. Rehman, Mr Syed Iqbal Haider, Ms. Shahtaj Qazalbash, Mr. Mehboob Khan, Mr. Nadeem Anthony, Ms.Saleema Hashmi, Ms. Rubina Saigol, Ms. Samina Rehman, Brig. Rao Abid Hameed, Mr.Faisal Akhtar, Mr. Waseem Majeed Malik, Mr. Irfan Barket, Dr. Naseem Ali, Dr. Khurram Iftikhar, Dr. Yousaf Yaseen, Mr. Irshad Choudhry, Imran Qureshi, Shams Mahmood, Zaffar ul Hassan, Khalid Mehmood, Bilal Hassan Minto, Muhammad Bashir, Ali Cheema, Shahid Hafeez, Syed Mozam Ali Shah, Mansoor Ali Shah, Shahzeb Masood, Javed Amin, Suleman Akram, Muhammad Bilal Sabir, Shahid Amin, Khawaja Amjad Hussain, Mahmood Ahmed,Rahim ul Haq, Ashtar Ausaf Ali, Alia Ali, Samia Ali, Azhra Irshad, Jona Anderyas, Ayra Anderyas, Zeba, Neelam Hussain, Gulnar, Sonobar, Sadaf Chughtai, Nasreen Shah, Shaista Parvaiz Malik, Iram Sharif, Amina Sharif, Taina Sabah ud Din, Tamkant Karim, Lala Raukh, Huma Shah, Nasreen Shah, Samia Ameen Khawaja.

According to reports, on 5 November 2007, hundreds of lawyers were arrested by the Police in Lahore and Karachi. During the arrests the lawyers allegedly faced brutal force from the Police and dozens of them were reportedly injured. It has further been reported that one lawyer was sent to hospital following a heart attack in police custody. These lawyers and members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have been targeted because of their peaceful activities in the defence of the human rights of others.