KARACHI: A joint action committee (JAC) of civil society organisations on Tuesday asked the government to provide protection to human rights activists and campaigners as it was a constitutional duty of the government to protect the lives of people.

Speaking at a condolence meeting at the PMA House to pay tribute to slain human rights activist and senior lawyer of Multan Rashid Rahman, the committee decided that a protest demonstration would be organised outside the Karachi Press Club on May 18 to condemn the killing and another demonstration would be organised by the Pakistan Civil Society Forum in Multan.

The participants in the meeting agreed that a delegation of civil society members from Sindh would also take part in the protest meeting in Multan.

“We believe the government has failed in discharging its duty in protecting human rights defenders and despite threats to the life of Rashid Rahman, no measure was taken by the government to provide him security,” said Karamat Ali of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education at the JAC meeting.

He said Rashid Rahman had told the trial court the names of the people who had threatened him, but “even the judge did not take any notice” and terrorists easily assassinated him in his chamber.

He demanded that those who had threatened Rashid Rahman were nominated in the FIR.

He endorsed the suggestion given by participants in the meeting that all political parties should be contacted to apprise them of problems of the civil society and measures to end the misuse of the blasphemy law and provide protection to lawyers and human rights activists.

Speaking on the occasion, the participants in the meeting decried that weaker sections of the society were being targeted by criminal elements, who misused the blasphemy law.

They paid rich tributes to Rashid Rahman for defending the cases of the poor, minorities and downtrodden people of the country.

Rashid Rahman was contesting a case of an accused of blasphemy. Some lawyers had threatened him of dire consequences in courtroom, but no security was provided to him, they said.

The participants in the meeting also criticised the role of religious parties for ‘providing’ shelter to criminals and killers convicted by anti-terrorism court for killing former governor of Punjab Salman Taseer.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2014.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.