Washington: South Asians Against Terrorism & for
Human Rights (SAATH Forum), a coalition of prominent democratic,
liberal, nationalist, and progressive Pakistani dissidents, have
strongly condemned an attack on Pakistani blogger Waqas Goraya in the
Netherlands.
According to details, two men were waited for him near his house in
exile, and attacked him as soon as he arrived there after work.
One of them made video of the attack while the other was beating Mr.
Goraya. Talking to SAATH members, Mr. Goraya has accused Pakistan’s
intelligence agency ISI and the Army for commissioning this attack.
The Dutch Police have recorded his statement and is investigating the matter.
“The attack has happened on the day when Pakistan’s strongest human
rights group, Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and its supporters world
over was holding protest demonstrations in many capitals of the world
and major cities of Pakistan, in memory of Late
Defender Arman Loni who was killed by Pakistani security agencies one
year ago,” SAATH said.
“SAATH is observing the conduct of the state of Pakistan with strong
concern for prevailing human rights situation in the country. In last
ten days, Pakistani government has arrested Manzoor Pashteen, the leader
of PTM, charged him for sedition, cracked down
on unarmed, peaceful protestors thrice and has humiliated and arrested
National Assembly member and PTM leader Mohsin Dawar. SAATH members are
of the view that the attack on Mr Goraya appears to be a part of this
same streak of state overreaction and authoritarianism
against its own citizens. This clearly, is an attempt to silence all
voices of dissent.”
However, the attack on Mr. Goraya who is not living in Pakistan, is
worrisome also because it sets a very dangerous precedent wherein
Pakistani state is seen to be using its influence among the diaspora to
attack and perpetrate violence against the peaceful
Human Rights Defenders of Pakistani origin. Having dissidents attacked
in foreign countries has been a very old playbook of authoritarian
regimes as was seen in case of Jamal Khashoggi. Pakistan’s embarking on
this path is doubly more troubling because the
country has rogue elements both within and without the state and can
put lives of hundreds of law-abiding dissidents who are living in
western world, in clear jeopardy.”
SAATH urged Dutch authorities to examine this line of inquiry and make
sure that not only the culprits are caught, but if their link with
Pakistan’s security agencies is proven, the Government of Pakistan must
be encouraged to take action against those agencies.
We also demand from the Government of Pakistan to immediately release
all the protesters and Mr. Manzoor Pashteen. SAATH expresses its deepest
sympathies and solidarity with Mr. Goraya, Mr. Pashteen and the
protesters of PTM who have been harmed in any way
or have been arrested.
Prominent members of SAATH include former Senator Afrasiab Khattak,
former ambassadors Husain Haqqani and Kamran Shafi, and columnists Dr
Mohammed Taqi, Rashed Rahman, Marvi Sirmed, Gul Bukhari, and Taha
Siddiqui, and activists Rubina Greenwood, Saghir Shaikh,
and Nabi Bukhsh Baloch.
