/ / PAKISTAN: ACTIVIST DETAINED ON TRUMPED-UP CHARGES

PAKISTAN: ACTIVIST DETAINED ON TRUMPED-UP CHARGES

UA: 35.26

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On March 16, Ali Wazir, human rights defender and former opposition member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, was arrested and detained under anti-terrorism charges in Hyderabad, Pakistan. This followed his release from detention earlier that day, having been granted bail by a bench of the Sindh High Court for another case. Since then, two additional cases have been filed against him. Since 2020, Ali Wazir has faced multiple arrests and has been charged in dozens of trumped-up cases intended to keep him in detention and silence him and his activism related to issues of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and discrimination and violence against the ethnic Pashtun minority. Ali Wazir’s 20-month detention and multiple cases filed against him speak to the unlawful and arbitrary tactics being deployed to silence him.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: October 22, 2026

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Sample Letter

Hon. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah,

I am concerned about the arbitrary detention of activist, human rights defender, and former member of the National Assembly, Ali Wazir. He was released after being granted bail by the high court in Hyderabad on March 16 but was immediately re-arrested on charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Since then, he has been detained in District Jail Dadu and implicated in two other cases for allegedly inciting “hatred” and “insurrection” against state institutions.

Since August 2024, Ali Wazir has been held in custody in more than a dozen cases seemingly intended to silence him and his activism related to issues of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and discrimination and violence against the ethnic Pashtun minority. His lawyers have stated that the authorities have repeatedly denied him access to legal counsel.

I am also concerned about Ali Wazir’s health as he is diabetic and faces heart and blood pressure issues which have worsened during his time in prison. His eyesight has significantly deteriorated due to his diabetic condition and denial of medical care.

I urge you to ensure that Ali Wazir is immediately released and that all the charges against him are dropped. Pending his release, he must have immediate access to adequate healthcare and regular, unhindered access to his family, and that his fair trial rights are fully guaranteed, including by ensuring he has access to legal counsel of his choosing.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Step 2

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Email your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah

Chief Minister Office

Civil Lines, Karachi,

Sindh, Pakistan

Phone: +92-21-99202080-1

[email protected]

and

CC: Pakistani Embassy in the United States, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh

Send a copy of your letter to the address below

3517 International Court, NW,

Washington DC 20008

[email protected]

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