KARACHI: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has urged Pakistani authorities to end what it called the current crackdown on human rights defenders, activists, journalists and other members of civil society and asked them to ensure that human rights are fully respected and protected in the lead-up to the general elections.

In a press release issued on Thursday, Amnesty expressed alarm at the wave of the alleged arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, attacks on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

“Key freedoms are under relentless attack in Pakistan, with the authorities cracking down on dissent, whether it takes place on the streets, on television news channels, in newspaper columns, or on social media,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy Director for South Asia at Amnesty International.

The watchdog called for the immediate and unconditional release of 37 activists currently detained at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for participating in the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement protests.

The 37 activists, who include several students due to sit their exams soon, were charged with “sedition” — under colonial-era laws that are inconsistent and incompatible with international standards — and had their request for bail rejected. The case has now been referred to an anti-terrorism court. It also expressed concern by the hours-long abduction of British-Pakistani columnist and activist Gul Bukhari in Lahore on June 6.

Speaking at a meeting of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society in Islamabad on June 7, CEO of the Dawn Media Group Hameed Haroon warned that Pakistan was “encountering the most dangerous attack on the right to freedom of expression”, it added.

Dawn, reported Amnesty International, had seen its circulation heavily disrupted in the country while the newspaper had come under intense pressure for its independent editorial policy.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018