DAY OF THE

ENDANGERED LAWYER 2020 Endangered Lawyers in Pakistan

Giornata dell’avvocato minacciato

Journée des avocats en danger Tehlikedeki avukatlar günü

El Día del Abogado Amenazado TAG DER BEDROHTEN ANWÄLTE

THEPREPARATIONCOMMITTEEFORTHEDAYOFTHEENDANGEREDLAWYER2020ISFORMEDBYTHEFOLLOWINGORGANIZATIONS;

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10thDAYOFTHEENDANGEREDLAWYER2020WITHTHEFOCUSONPAKISTAN:

AstruggletoprotectPakistanilawyers,especiallyagainstIslamicfundamentalismandterrorism

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Background

OverthepastseveralyearslawyersinPakistanhavebeensubjectedtoactsofmassterrorism,murder,attemptedmurder,assaults,(death)threats,contemptproceedings,harassmentandintimidationintheexecutionoftheirprofessionalduties.Theyhavealsobeenarrested,detainedortortured,andinsomecasesthefamilymembersofthemurderedlawyerhavealsobeenmurdered.Somelawyershavebeenthreatenedwithdisbarmentorhadtheirhomesraidedbythepolice.SometimesChristianlawyersormembersofminoritysectshavebeenassaultedorthreatenedwithdeath.ThemostnotoriousattackonPakistanilawyersoccurredonAugust8,2016whenterroristsattackedtheGovernmentHospitalofQuettawithasuicidebombingandshootingwhichresultedinthedeathof56lawyers.Sincetherehasbeenanalarmingincreaseinthenumberoflawyersmurdered,withninereportedoverthepastyear.MorerecentlySaif-ul-MalookreceivedseriousdeaththreatsforrepresentingAsiaBibi,whohadbeensentencedtodeathforblasphemy,asaresultofwhichhewasforcedtofleetemporarilytotheNetherlands.

Theperpetratorsoftheseattackshavebeenterrorists,religiouszealots,thepoliceandunreportedsources.Therehavealsobeenreportsthatpro-governmentmilitias(whichstillexisttoday)havebeenbehindsomeofthemurders,andinsomecaseslawyershavebeenkilledbecausetheyareShia.Inresponsetotheserepeatedattacks,Pakistanilawyersfrequentlystrike,demonstrate,protestandholdboycotts.

ThelifeofanAdvocateisatrisk themomentheorshetakesupacase.Itdoesnotmatterifitistheopposingpartyortheverypartythatthelawyerisrepresenting.Byitsconstitutionof1956,theofficialnameofPakistanistheIslamicRepublicofPakistan.Morethan96%ofPakistan's197millioncitizens(2017)areMuslims,andIslamisthestatereligion,theoverwhelmingmajorityofwhomareSunniMuslims.PakistanhasalsoanimportantminorityofShi’iteMuslimsaswellasanumberofotherminorityreligions,includingChristianity,whosefollowersaresubjectedtodiscrimination,violenceanddeath,especiallythemisuseofblasphemylaws.AmongcountrieswithaMuslimmajority,Pakistanhasthestrictestanti-blasphemylaws.ThePakistanPenalCodepunishesblasphemy(Urdu:قانون توہین رسالت)againstanyrecognizedreligion,providingpenaltiesrangingfromafinetodeath.From1967to2014,over1,300peoplewereaccusedofblasphemy,withMuslimsconstitutingmostofthoseaccused.Between1987to2017atleast1,500peoplewerechargedwithblasphemyandatleast75peopleinvolvedinaccusationsofblasphemywerekilledinPakistanaccordingtotheCenterforSocialJustice.

Manypeopleaccusedofblasphemyhavebeenmurderedbeforetheirtrialswereconcluded,andprominentfigureswhoopposedtheblasphemylawhavebeenassassinated.Infactsince1990,62peoplehavebeenmurderedfollowingblasphemyallegations.Accordingtoonereligiousminoritysource,anaccusationofblasphemycommonlyexposestheaccused,police,lawyers,andjudgestoharassment,threats,attacksandrioting.

ViolenceandthethreatofviolenceareomnipresentinPakistan,andaccordingtotheMinistryofInteriorterrorismposesasignificantthreattothepeopleofPakistan.Thecurrentwaveofterrorismisbelievedtohavestartedin2000andpeakedduring2009.Accordingtoa2018reportbyBrownUniversity'sWatsonInstituteforInternationalandPublicAffairs,23,372Pakistaniciviliansand8,832Pakistanisecuritypersonnelhadbeenkilledinthewaronterrorism.Pakistanissaidtobeasafehavenforanumberofterroristgroups,includingAl-Qaeda,ithasbeenaccusedofgivingaidtothe

Talibanandhostingterroristcamps,andthereforeitisresponsibleforstate-sponsoredorstate-condonedterrorism.

PakistanilawisbaseduponthelegalsystemofBritishIndia,thusultimatelyontheCommonLawofEnglandandWales.TherearesixBarCouncilsinPakistanwhichcameintobeingasaresultofenactmentofLegalPractitionersandBarCouncilsAct1973.TheseBarCouncilsregulatelegalprofessionalsacrossprovincial,territorialandnationallevels.TheyincludetheBarCouncilsof:Punjab,Sindh,Balochistan,Islamabad,AzadJammu&Kashmir,KhyberPakhtunkhwa,aswellasthePakistanBarCouncil,thenationalBarassociation.

ThecasesmentionedinthisreporthavebeendocumentedbyPakistanilawyers,theInternationalAssociationofPeople’sLawyers(IAPL),Lawyers’RightsWatchCanada(LRWC),ZykyriaMuilooandtheEuropeanBarHumanRightsInstitute(IDHAE).

TheAugust8,2016Quettaterroristattack

BilalAnwarKasi,aprominentlawyerandthepresidentoftheBalochistanBarAssociation,wasshotdeadbyanunknowngunmanonthemorningofAugust8whileleavinghishomeforhisoffice.HisdeadbodywasbroughttotheGovernmentHospitalforautopsyandmanylawyersassembledoutside.Asuspectedsuicidebombingtookplaceinsidethehospital,whichwasfollowedbygunfireresultinginmanyfatalitiesandinjuries(94peoplewerekilledandover120injured).Ofthe280practisinglawyersinQuettaatthetime,56werekilledand92wereinjured,consequentlyalargepartoftheBalochistanBarwassimplyeliminated.

BoththePakistaniTalibanandtheIslamicStateterroristgroup(ISIS)claimedresponsibilityfortheattack.InitiallyISISclaimedtheresponsibilityfortheattack,however,Jamaat-ul-Ahar,asplintergroupofPakistanimilitantgroupTehrik-i-Taliban,alsoclaimedcreditfortheattackonKasiandthehospital.Thegroupthreatenedthatmoreattackswouldtakeplace"untiltheimpositionofanIslamicsysteminPakistan".Formedontheordersofthetopcourt,JusticeQaziFaezIsaheadedupacommissiontoinvestigatethecircumstancesoftheattackandissuedareportonDecember13,2016,whichblamedthegovernment,includingtheinteriorministry,overitsfailuretotakeaction

againstmilitantorganizations.However,despitepromisesmadebytheprovincialgovernmenttothefamiliesoftheslainlawyerstherecommendationshavenotbeenimplemented.Infact,verylittleprogresshasbeenmadeintheinvestigationandminimumefforthasbeenmadetoimplementimportantrecommendations.Moreover,Talibansuicidebombershavealsoattackedcourthouses,resultingindeathsandmanyinjuriessinceAugust2016.ConsideringthefactthattheTalibanandotherterroristgroupsstillhaveaseriouspresenceinmanypartsofPakistanandwhostillcarryoutfrequentattacksonmanydifferenttargets,Pakistanilawyersfaceaconstantthreatoftargetedviolence,includingmurder.

Atleast21lawyersmurderedsinceFebruary2018

TheInternationalAssociationofPeople’sLawyers(IAPL)MonitoringCommitteeonAttacksonLawyersrecordedthefollowinglawyersmurdered:ZainullahKhan(March30,2018),SanamSikandarUmrani(akaWaqarUmraniMay31,2018),ZaminKhan(June6,2018),HaroonBilour(August13,2018),YasirZikyria(August15,2018),SyedAzanKundi(December24,2018),NaizmeenShah(January8,2019),NailaAmjad(January11,2019),AsifHussain(March1,2019),ChaudharyGhazanfarAliWarraich(May31,2019)andMalikDilawarHussain(July17,2019).ItshouldbenotedthattheseareonlythemurdersthattheMonitoringCommitteehasdocumented,andthereareprobablyothers.AlthoughsomeofPakistan’sEnglish-languagemediareportsonattacksagainstlawyers,someoftheirmediaispublishedinUrduorotherlanguagesthatmakeitdifficultorimpossibleforustomonitor.

Lawyers’RightsWatchCanada(LRWC)documentedafurtherninemurdersorassassinationsofPakistanilawyersinwhichtheyintervened,from2014untilFebruary2018:PervezAkhtar(February7,2018),MuhammadIdress(February5,2018),RaufAhmadThaurSheikhpura(October9,2017),AliaShenzadiSheikhpura(May16,2017),SaleemLatifNakanaSahib(March30,2017),MohammadJanGigyani(March4,2017),IrfanChauhanandRanaKhalidAbbas(May25,2015)andRashidRehmanKhan(May4,2014).TherearealsoreportsofattemptedmurdersagainstPakistanilawyers.AccordingtoLRWConDecember3,2014severalgunmenonmotorcyclesattackedtheMultanresidenceofShahbazGormani,alawyerdefendingauniversitylectureragainstblasphemycharges.GormaniwasactingasdefencecouncilforProfessorJunaidHafeezafterpreviouscouncilandprominenthumanrightslawyerRashidRehmanRashidwasshotdeadbygunmenonMay7,2014.ThegunmenfiredindiscriminatelyattheresidenceofGormaniandwarnedhimoffutureconsequences.Theattacksdiscussedabovearenotnewphenomenon.Priortothisperiod,between2004and2014itwasreportedthatduringfiveseparateattacksabout310lawyerswerekilled.

AdditionallyIDHAEdocumentsfor2018thefollowingcases:

• February7,2018:PervezAkhtarCheema,shotdeadinhiscaronhiswaytoahearinginSheikhupura

• February9,2018:Rizvam,severelyattackedbecausehewasdefendinganaccusedofblasphemy

• February20,2018:RanaIshtiaqandOwaisTalib,killedduringahearingattheLahorecourthouse

LawyersfromPakistanhavereportedanumberofothermurderousattacksonlawyersin2019

• May3,2019,brutalmurderofMahrMuhammadYasinSahuadvMultan(familydispute)• June3,2019,murderousattackonMuhammadAdnanOthi,ChaudharyShahidMeo,

MuammadTahirAslam.ThreeadvocateswereseriouslyinjuredandtheculpritswerecloserelativeofDPONarrowalwhowerenotarrestedbythepolice.

• July13,2019,murderousattackonMahrGhulamNoul.• June20,2019,murderousattackonSyedNoorAhmadShahadvandnineothersinTBA

Arifwala.• July16,2019,murderousattackonBasharatHundaladvofRahimYarKhan.

Consequently,ourPakistanicolleaguescontinuetobesubjectedtoactsofviolence,andmorerecently,inearlyJuly2019,alawyerwasseriouslyassaultedbyajudgeduringatrial,whichledtoalocalstrike("BlackDay")oflawyerslastingatleastaweek.Atthenationallevelrecentlytherehavebeenrepeatedstrikesbylawyers,especiallyinsolidaritywithtwojudgeswhohavebeenunderattackbyPakistanPresidentArifAlvi.ThelatestnationalstrikesorganizedbythePakistanBarCouncilwereheldonJuly13thand27th,andAugust8thwhenmanyPakistanilawyerswentonstriketocommemoratetheQuettamassacre.ThesewerefollowedbyanotherstrikeonAugust26th.

ThecaseofSaif-ul-Malook

Individuallawyers,likehigh-profilelawyerSaif-ul-Malook,alsocontinuetofaceahighriskofdeathorphysicalharm.Saif-ul-Malookwastargetedwithdeaththreatsafterheobtainedtheacquittalonappealofhisclient,AsiaBibi,whohadbeenondeathrowsince2010afterherconvictionforblasphemy.MalooksubsequentlyreceiveddeaththreatsandwasforcedtoseekprotectionfromEuropeangovernments.ChiefJusticeMianSaqibNisar,JusticeAsifSaeedKhosaandJusticeMazhar

AlamKhan,thejudgeswhooverturnedherconvictionforblasphemy,werealsothreatenedwithdeath.

MalookfledtotheNetherlandslastNovemberafterviolentprotestseruptedoverthePakistaniSupremeCourt’sdecisiontooverturnBibi’s2010deathsentence.HereturnedtoIslamabadonJanuary26,2019todefendBibiasshefacedanotherandfinalappealoftheSupremeCourt’sdecision.ThefinalappealwasrejectedattheendofJanuary2019.Bibi,whohasbeendetainedinprotectivecustody,wasexpectedtoleavePakistanaswelltoseekasyluminCanada(whereherchildrenhavealreadyobtainedrefugeestatus)oraEuropeancountry.However,thesituationwassovolatileandviolentinthecountrythatshewasunabletoleavethecountryforseveralmonths.ItisreportedthatMalookisafraidtoleavehisapartment,andheisingreatdangerofseriousharmordeath.WhilehewasintheNetherlandstheChristianNGOStichtingHVCshelteredhim,andwasinstrumentalinensuringthathewasabletoremaintemporarilyandsafelyinthecountry.

AlessprominentcaseinvolvesShaguftaKauserandherdisabledhusbandShafqatMasih,whoareaccusedofsendingblasphemoustextmessagestoaMuslimclericdespitethefactthatbothofthemareilliterate.ThetextmessageswerewritteninEnglish,alanguagethatneitherorthemspeaknordotheyhaveanyknowledgeofalphanumericsymbols.LikesomanyChristiansinPakistan,thefamilycomefromapoorbackgroundwhichmakesthemaneasytarget.Theyhavebeenimprisonednowforfiveyears,facethedeathpenaltyandarealsorepresentedbySaif-ul-Malook.AlongwithcondemningthetorturewhichMasihwassubjectedtoatthehandsofthepolice,Malookhasalsoexpressedconcernsthatthejudgewhopronouncedthedeathsentencewasintimidatedbyhardlinelawyersandreligiousleadersinthecommunity.Duetohisrepresentationoftheseblasphemyaccused,Malookcontinuestoreceiveserious,ongoingandcredibledeaththreats.

Demandsandrecommendations

Giventheextremelylargenumberoflawyerskilledparticularlysince2004,andtheongoingseriousriskoffurtherterroristattacksandphysicalattacksagainstlawyers,weareconvincedthattheprotectionfromphysicalharmofPakistanilawyersisurgentandatoppriority,especiallysincethePakistaniauthoritiesareunableorunwillingtoprovideeffectiveprotectiontothelegalprofession.

1) TogetherwithourcolleaguesinPakistan,wedemandtheimmediateandcomprehensiveimplementationoftheJusticeQaziFaesIsareportontheAugust8,2016Quettamassacreoflawyers.LRWCcalledontheGovernmentofPakistantoinvestigateandremedythemurdersofBilalAnwarKasiandeachoftheestimated78otherskilledinthebombing,themajorityofwhomwerelawyers.TheLRWCcalledontheGovernmentofPakistantogiveprioritytoensuringtheidentificationandpunishmentoftheperpetratorsthrougheffectiveinvestigation,competentprosecutionsandfairtrials.Inconsultationwiththelegalprofessionandsecurityexperts,theGovernmentofPakistanmustputinplacemeasurestopreventsuchattacksandtoensurethatlawyersarefreetocarryouttheirprofessionaldutiesinsafetyandwithoutfearofreprisalsorattacks.Wesupportthesedemands.

2) ThecaseofSaif-ul-MalookdemonstratesthattemporaryprotectionaffordedtoendangeredlawyersoutsideofPakistancanbeaneffectiveprotectivemechanismforprotectingthemfromseriousharmordeath.WecalluponNGOslikeProtectDefenders.eu,Barassociations,lawsocieties,humanrightsorganizations,bodiesoftheUnitedNationsandforeigngovernmentstoprovidetemporaryandpermanentprotectiontoendangeredPakistanilawyers.

3) LRWCalsocalledforremediationinthemurdercasesofPakistanilawyers.RemediationrequestedincludedcallsonPakistantocomplywithitsinternationallawobligationsto:

investigateandholdperpetratorsaccountable,provideeffectiveprotection,putinplacemeasuresnecessarytopromotereligioustoleranceandtopreventandpunishvigilantismagainstpeopleandtheircounselaccusedofblasphemyorotherwisesuspectedorfollowinganotherreligion.WesupportLRWC’scallsanddemandthatthePakistaniauthoritiesimmediatelyimplementthem.

4) WedemandthattheGovernmentofPakistancallupontheparliamentofPakistantoimmediatelyrepealtheprovisionsofthePakistanPenalCodedealingwithblasphemy,subsequentlyclearthewaytodropallpendingchargesagainstthosewhoarechargedwithsuchoffencesandreleaseanyoneaccusedwiththeseoffences.

5) Asforconcretemeasurestoprotectlawyers,LRWChasmadethefollowingrecommendations:ensurethatallallegationsofenforceddisappearanceandextrajudicialexecutionsareinvestigatedandthoseresponsiblearebroughttojustice.Conductanindependentinquiryintoallsuspectedcasesofenforceddisappearancesoflawyersandhumanrightdefendersandholdaccountablethoseresponsible.Investigateallreportsofattacksonlawyers,journalistsandhumanrightdefendersandbringtheperpetratorstojustice.ContinueeffortstocooperatewiththeUNSpecialRapporteuronthesituationofhumanrightsdefenderstoensurethatallallegationsofimproperuseofcriminallawsareinvestigatedinaneffective,impartial,andpromptmanner.Westronglysupportthesemeasuresanddemandtheirimmediateimplementation.WealsosupporttherecommendationsoftheUNHumanRightsCouncilWorkingGrouponEnforcedorInvoluntaryDisappearancesonitsmissiontoPakistananddemanditsimmediateimplementation.

6) Weurgelawyers,Barassociations,lawsocietiesandNGOstoissuemessagesofsupportandsolidaritywithourPakistanicolleaguesassoonaspossible.MessagescanbesenttothePakistanBarCouncil(thenationallawyersassociation)atinfo@pakistanbarcouncil.orgTheCouncil'swebsiteishttp://pakistanbarcouncil.org/anditregularlypublishespressreleasesaboutitsactivities,includingindefenceoflawyersindanger.Itwouldcertainlyappreciateyoursupportandsolidarity.PleaseforwardtousanystatementsyouissueorsendtotheCouncil.

7) 7)WecallontheEuropeanUnionanditsMemberStatestousetheirrelationswithPakistantostrengthentheprotectionoflawyersandhumanrightsdefendersinaccordancewithPakistan'sinternationalobligations.

Weareheartenedbysomerecenteffortsbytheinternationalcommunitytotaketheprotectionofendangeredlawyersmoreseriously.Inparticular,atthebeginningofJuly2019theG7BarsMeetingwasheldinFrance,withrepresentativesoftheBarsofFrance,Canada,Germany,USA,Japan,EnglandandWalesaswellasItaly,representing1.8millionlawyers.Theyadopted20proposalstoG7governments,meetinginBiarritzFranceinAugust2019,includingone:"CommittosupportactionsmarkingtheDayoftheEndangeredLawyerandtoencourageothercountriestodolikewise."

ThecourageouslawyersofPakistanhavesufferedgreatlyformanyyears,includingmanymurdersandotherinstancesofseriousharm.Althoughsomesegmentsoftheinternationallegalcommunityhavedocumentedandspokenoutagainsttheseattacksonsomeoccasions,weareoftheviewthatmuchmoreneedstobedonetofocusurgentinternationalattentiononthistragicsituation.Theydeserveourtotalsupportandoursolidarity.HANDSOFFPAKISTANILAWYERS!

Formoreinformation,pleaseconsultthemultilingualblogonattacksagainstlawyersoftheIAPLMonitoringCommitteeonAttacksonLawyers,whichverycloselymonitorsPakistan:https://defendlawyers.wordpress.com/tag/pakistan/

Thepreparationgroup:StuartRussell,Co-coordinatorMonitoringCommitteeonAttacksonLawyers,InternationalAssociationofPeople'sLawyers(IAPL)Bordeaux,FranceEmail:jsrussell301254@gmail.comBlog:https://defendlawyers.wordpress.com/ThomasSchmidt(lawyer),SecretaryGeneralEuropeanAssociationofLawyersforDemocracyandWorldHumanRights(ELDH)Platanenstrasse13,40233–Düsseldorf,DeutschlandPHONE0049-211-444001,MOBILEPHONE0049–172–6810888Emailthomas.schmidt@eldh.euWebwww.eldh.euGailDavidson,LRWCLawyersRightsWatchCanada3220West13thavenueVancouver,BCCanada,V6K2V5Phone:+1604736-1175Email:lrwcanada@gmail.comWeb:www.lrwc.orgHansGaasbeek,InternationalcoordinatorDayoftheEndangeredLawyerFoundationNieuweGracht5aNL2011NBHaarlem,NederlandTelephone:(023)5318657Email:hgaasbeek@gaasbeekengaasbeek.nlWeb:http://dayoftheendangeredlawyer.eu/

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THEDAYOFTHEENDANGEREDLAWYERPROJECTISCELEBRATINGIT’S10THANNIVERSARY

INTHESPRINGOF2019THECOALITIONFORTHEENDANGEREDLAWYERWASCREATEDATTHEMEETINGINBRUSSELSBYTHEFOLLOWINGUNDERSIGNINGINTERNATIONALLAWYERNETWORKS,INTERNATIONALBARASSOSICATIONSANDLAWYERORGANIZATIONS;

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