Lahore protest. Photo: Khalid Mahmood
January 15, 2017 marks just over two weeks since the professor, poet and activist Salman Haider was abducted from Islamabad, followed soon after by more such “disappearances”. Human rights activists around the world are demanding that Pakistan produce the missing bloggers and end the climate of fear being created. Disappearing activists is not a new tactic, as Pervez Hoodbhoy reminds us – been happening with alarming regularity in Balochistan. But these abductions happened in Punjab. Meanwhile, the propaganda machinery of the dirty tricks brigade (#DTBPk) is out in full force painting as ‘blasphemers’ and ‘traitors’ the missing bloggers and those supporting them – which in the context of Pakistan is a clear incitement to violence and vigilante action. Below: photographs from some of the protests – Peshawar, Toba Tek Singh, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Dallas TX and London, England.
Lahore photos by Khalid Mahmood. Toba Tek Singh pix via Farooq Tariq. Peshawar photos from Khurshid Bano and Shahida Shah. Karachi and London pix via Aabida Ali. Dallas pix via Afia Salam, Islamabad pix via Abdullah Dayo.
- More resources:
Bytes for All demands recovery of Pakistan’s forcibly ‘disappeared’ bloggers and activists - With Impunity – Senator Afrasiab Khattak oped in The Nation putting the issue into perspective
- UN expert urges Pakistan to locate and return home four disappeared rights and social media activists
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Missing activists – Dawn editorial
Filed under: Blasphemy Laws, Human rights, Violence in the name of religion | Tagged: #DTBPk, Activism, blasphemy, Dallas TX, dirty tricks brigade, karachi, Lahore, London, missing bloggers, Pakistan, peshawar, toba tek singh |
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