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Pakistani Hazara campaigner fights deportation from Britain
LONDON: Lawyers for a leading activist from Pakistan's embattled Shia Hazara community made a last-minute bid on Thursday to stop his deportation from Britain despite having received death threats from militants in his homeland.
Liaquat Ali Hazara, 36, told AFP in a phone interview from the detention centre where he is being held in England that his lawyers had applied to cancel the expulsion set for Tuesday.
“I fear they can disappear me from the airport upon my arrival,” Hazara said, speaking from Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre near Lincoln, central England.
Hazara's minority community has been attacked on many occasions by the al Qaeda-linked hardline militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and the Hazaras often travel accompanied by security squads to avoid killings.
Know more: Hazards of Identity
“A person like me, who has a raised political and human rights stature, I could be an easy target for them,” he said.
The campaigner came to Britain in 2005 to study accountancy and began his political activities in 2009, founding the Hazara United Movement (HUM) to draw attention to his people's plight in Pakistan.
The movement founded by Hazara helped organise debates on the plight of his people at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the British parliament, with testimonies from victims of the violence.
The activist applied for asylum in 2012 after receiving death threats but his application was rejected. He explained that his previous lawyer had failed to explain to British authorities the dangers he would face in Pakistan.
Around 1,000 Shias have been killed in the past two years in Pakistan, a heavy toll on the community that makes up roughly 20 per cent of the country's population of 180 million.
The bulk of the Shia killings have come in Balochistan, which is home to most of Pakistan's Hazaras.
Also read: HRCP reports exodus of minorities from Balochistan
Five people were killed and 25 others wounded earlier this month when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Hazara colony in Quetta.
Quetta, the Balochistan capital, “has become an inferno where the Hazaras in particular and people of other minorities in general, such as Hindus and Sikhs, fear for their lives, “Hazara said.
“The whole community is like a concentration camp.”
Comments (23) Closed
Wonder when The British authorities will expel Altaf Hussain ?
He is right because here in our area we all are cordon by security forces and anyone go outside of this area he or she is responsible for his or her own security. The poor people of our community are living in cage and we cannot go outside of our area, so what to talk about to earn bread and butter for our family. We don't have any right to live or work freely and now Mr Liayaquth Ali is facing problem, we pray for him and request to UK government to help him out.
Do they rightly claim to be champion of Human Rights across the world and still deport him what a dual policy they own.
@Arshad A Patel, W.Chester,Oh, USA
Arshad
First start from you. why not you leave USA first and after that you should worry about others
@Arshad A Patel, W.Chester,Oh, USA I was going to say the same. But remember he has followers and wealth, granted by the Brits. Who cares, we the average and the poor that live in a jungle where crime covers crime, might has the authority over the weak and so on.
@Arshad A Patel, W.Chester,Oh, USA They won't. He is a British Citizen. Unless they rewoke his citizenship.
Don't run away from death. You are from The Brave Hazara tribe.
Why did he start the movement, instead of finishing his accountancy? Was his intentions to carry out political activities in Britain? Questionable.
@Sunil Sinha That was perhaps his way of getting political asylum? The man whom no one has ever heared of would be completely anonymous in a place like lets say karachi.
@Hassan That day is not far when he will be FORCED OUT of Britain. Chapter closed.
@Arshad A Patel, W.Chester,Oh, USA Instead of arguing over a silly matter, why don't you focus on something that helps Pakistan. Just because you can put two words together in English doesn't necessarily mean that you are smart. As someone "smart" once said "if you don't speak, no one would know how stupid you are".
Why are no 'Christian millions' seeking refuge in Muslim Countries? Why are millions of Muslims wanting to migrate to Christian countries? Australia was forced to issue an advertisement in Pakistan warning people not to try and enter Australia illegally.
@Sajjad : don't be foolish, if there is threat to life, better take security whether it is police protection or running away from the place.
Country created as safe haven for Muslims. Shias are afraid of being deported to their home land. Brilliant!
Every asylum seeker in the UK has to prove in particular that the individual would be solely targeted. A general feeling of being harassed is not taken as a credible proof. Also the authorities consider the number of total population of ethnic minority and always question that among that proportion what is the possibility of being harmed.
British government and politics or its offices may be corrupt but their judicial system is very much just and clean.
@Sajjad what is their history, where they come from ?
The purpose for which PAKISTAN was formed by Jinnah Sahab is defeated when MUSLIMS are being killed with one pretext or the another.
If they are (Hazaras) are not safe in Quetta, they must go to Islamabad and Lahore as thousand has already been shifted.
@Arshad A Patel, W.Chester,Oh, USA - How can they deport a British national? Revoking nationality is unheard of over there (I believe its the same in USA) unless its something serious as treason. Seriously, do you live in USA not to know this?
This is a well deserving case for asylum. Shias are in danger in Pakistan. I hope British immigration will reconsider his case.
@D But Altaf left the country first!
He may deserve asylum, but it is what he will do after getting asylum, acts as deterrent.
“A person like me, who has a raised political and human rights stature, I could be an easy target for them,” ... God safe the name and image of proud Hazara nation from such charlatans. Don't fool around in the name of Hazara. We are not an orphan nation nor we are fools to be represented by people like you. You used the name of Hazara for your personal objectives and people who are now supporting you used you for their vested interest- A Hazara.