KARACHI:Pakistan Human Rights Defenders Network (PHRDN) has urged the federal government to remove the name of Ms Gulalai Ismail, a women’s rights activist from Exit Control List (ECL) and withdraw cases against her.
In a statement, Tanveer Jehan, Coordinator of the network and other Steering Committee member said that they were disappointed by the government’s decision to put Ms Gulalai’s name on ECL and confiscating her travel documents.
Ms Gulalai Ismail, director of a women’s organization Aware Girls was detained by FIA on 12 October on her arrival at Islamabad Airport from London on the excuse that her name was on ECL. She was taken to FIA headquarters but was released on personal bail. FIA had told her and colleagues that the action has been taken against her because an Fir is lodged against her at Swabi police station.
PHRDN statement says that Ms Gulalai is a human rights defenders and has invested her entire young age in creating awareness on women’s rights particularly rights of young girls and have been advocated for better life for women in Pakistan. She is also internationally recognized Pakistani rights activist who received Anna Politkovskaya Award in 2017.
She has also contributed significantly in government efforts of discouraging religious extremism and violence particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and is a genuine patriotic Pakistani woman. “Branding her anti-state and imposing restrictions on her movement by putting her name on ECL is a matter of concern for us,” the statement added.
The network believes that Ms Gulailai’s work is very much in the parameters of Constitution of Pakistan. However, if any government agency has any complaint against her, there could have been better ways to address misunderstanding rather than lodging FIRs and putting the name of a Women Human Rights Defenders on ECL.
PHRDN appeals to the Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Cabinet members to issue instructions of immediate removal of her name from ECL and return of travelling documents. “She must be allowed to exercise her right to free movement,” it said.
Statement also urges the provincial government of KPK to remove her name from an FIR lodged against over a dozen people allegedly for holding a public meeting without permission. “FIR and action against a female activist for supporting and speaking at a public meeting did not reflect maturity of public authorities,” opined the statement.
“Young people are often angry and state authorizes must learn to tolerate and accommodate dissent,” statement advices. “We hope government would listen to our appeal,” it ended.