KARACHI, Dec 14: The first Muslim secretary-general of the Amnesty International, Irene Zubaida Khan, exchanged views on human rights situation in Pakistan with senior politicians at a dinner hosted in her honour by the chairman of Centre for Development and Democracy, Nafees Siddiqui, in Karachi on Thursday night.

The AI secretary-general who flew into Karachi from Islamabad after meeting President General Pervez Musharraf was briefed by Nafees Siddiqui and political leaders on the overall human rights situation in Pakistan.

The political leaders included acting secretary-general of the Pakistan People’s Party Mian Raza Rabbani, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, former Sindh Chief Minister; Muttahida Qaumi Movement Coordination Committee members Aftab Shaikh, Nasrin Jalil and Farooq Sattar; secretary-general of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Mairaj Mohammed Khan, PML (Nawaz) leader Shah Muhammad Shah, Central Information Secretary National Peoples Party Syed Zia Abbas, Makhdoom Khaliquzzaman, besides editors and senior journalists.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar told Irene Zubaida Khan, the first woman to take charge of the million person strong global human rights organisation, about the conditions in jails around the country and gave suggestions for making an improvement.

He also spoke about denial of fundamental rights in the country.

Nafees Siddiqui said the CDD organises seminars and conferences on issues relating to democracy and development. The centre gives its recommendations and guidelines to the policy-makers of the country.

Irene Zubaida Khan, born in Dhaka, in December 1956, who was accompanied by Director AI Asia and office-bearers of AI Pakistan Chapter, earlier worked in a number of different parts of the world, including Southeast Asia, Pakistan, UK and Republic of Ireland in a range of capacities, but with a focus on protecting the rights of refugees and displaced persons and giving them direct help and advice.

She joined AI in its 40th anniversary years in August 2001, and at a time when the organization is looking at a change and development to address the changing face of human rights violations in the world. She left Karachi early Friday on conclusion of her visit to Pakistan.—PPI