Advertisement

Updated November 12th, 2020 at 18:29 IST

Rights group asks Pakistan to unveil whereabouts of activist

Pakistani rights activist Idris Khattak, who worked for both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, went missing along with his driver on Nov. 13 last year.

| Image:self
Advertisement

A prominent rights group Thursday asked Pakistan to immediately disclose the whereabouts of an activist who authorities acknowledged was being held on a treason charge months after his disappearance.Pakistani rights activist Idris Khattak, who worked for both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, went missing along with his driver on Nov. 13 last year. Later, his driver told his family that Khattak was taken by unidentified men from his car while they were traveling in the country's volatile northwest.

The request for information came from Amnesty.Pakistan maintained silence over Khattak’s disappearance until June, when the Ministry of Defense responded to his family’s complaint. The ministry told a court that Khattak was in custody and faced a treason charge, which is punishable by death.

Amnesty International, on the anniversary of Khattak's disappearance, in a statement said the man “worked extensively to tackle enforced disappearance" before he himself went missing last year.It asked Pakistan to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding his case.

“A year after he was taken from them, Idris Khattak’s family remain completely in the dark about where he is being kept, his state of health, and the legal process he is being put through, if any," said Omar Waraich, the head of South Asia at Amnesty International.

“The Pakistani authorities must end this intolerable situation by disclosing his whereabouts and allowing him regular access to his family and lawyer,” he added.Waraich asked Pakistan to bring Khattak before a civilian court. The country has witnessed an intensified crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and members of civil society in recent years.

(Image Credit: AP) 

This story has not been edited by www.republicworld.com and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.

Advertisement

Published November 12th, 2020 at 18:29 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
a few seconds ago
Mukhtar Ansari Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in 1990 Arms Licence Case | Live
a few seconds ago
BREAKING: Mukhtar Ansari Suffers Heart Attack, Admitted to Hospital in Serious Condition
2 minutes ago
Tammannah Bhatia
9 minutes ago
Alaya F
10 minutes ago
Neha Dhupia
11 minutes ago
Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal
12 minutes ago
Ankita Lokhande
13 minutes ago
Beans
16 minutes ago
As of March 28, at least 143 people have died as a result of the concert hall attack in Moscow.
17 minutes ago
Man Detained With Liquor Bottle Outside Court When Arvind Kejriwal Produced In Excise Policy Case
17 minutes ago
Experience The Magic Of These Kashmiri Lakes
18 minutes ago
Penn Badgley
21 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo