September 24, 2008	Wednesday	Ramazan 23, 1429

NEW YORK, Sept 23: The Human Rights Watch called upon the US Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday to immediately reconsider the visa revocation of a widely respected Pakistani human rights advocate.

On Sept 12, officials suddenly revoked the travel visa of Amina Masood Janjua, who was scheduled to fly that day from Geneva to Washington, DC, for meetings about missing people in Pakistan.

“At a time when good US relations with Pakistan are of such vital importance, Janjua’s last-minute visa revocation is both misguided and suspicious,” said Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counter-terrorism director at the Human Rights Watch. “It suggests an attempt to prevent critics of Pakistan’s policies from sharing their views.”