Laws are being misused in Pakistan to silence critics. Human rights lawyer Iman Mazari has been booked for terrorism for using the term ‘enforced disappearance’. If proven guilty, he could face up to 14 years in jail.
Islamabad: Former Pakistani minister and defense expert Shireen Mazari has said that the legal system is being misused in Pakistan to silence those who criticize government policies and human rights activists. Mazari, who was the human rights minister in Imran Khan’s government, spoke about the scary situation in the country, citing the ongoing hearing of her daughter and human rights lawyer Iman Zainab Mazari.
The main allegation against Iman and her husband Hadi Ali Chattha is that they used the word ‘enforced disappearance’ in a tweet. Pakistan’s cyber crime agency says that use of this word is like promoting terrorism. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act of 2016. If convicted, he could face up to 14 years in prison.
strange things in hearing
Shirin Mazari, in an article written in ‘Dissent Today’, said that what happened during the hearing of this case shows the degradation of the legal system. The official prosecution witness could not even produce his identity card. The term ‘enforced disappearance’ is used by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the High Court and even the current Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif. There is also an official commission for this in Pakistan. But Mazari said that when a common citizen uses it, it becomes treason.
Such cases are fabricated to eliminate those who criticize Pakistan Army’s policies and military actions in Balochistan. Recently, an article titled ‘It is Over’, which implied that Pakistan’s young generation is fed up with the old governance styles, was removed from a major newspaper under pressure from the military. This shows how much freedom of speech is in danger in the country. International legal organizations have condemned the continued judicial harassment of Iman Mazari and her husband. Global organizations have demanded Pakistan to withdraw the charges against them and protect the rights of the lawyers.