Punhal Sario
Punhal Sario is a human rights defender and the convenor of Voice for Missing Persons of Sindh, a recently-formed group campaigning for the end of enforced disappearances in Sindh province, an area where many writers, students and political activists have been abducted and tortured over the years. From the 5th to the 16th of July the group led a march from Hyderabad to Karachi to protest against alleged enforced disappearances and to demand immediate action from the government. Punhal Sario also observed a week-long hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club in July 2017.
Pakistan is one of the most challenging countries in the region for human rights defenders, who face high risks including killing, arbitrary arrest and detention, abduction and kidnapping, surveillance, threats and judicial harassment. Many HRDs have had their offices attacked or burnt down and their colleagues killed.
