ISLAMABAD: Yet another Pakistani rights activist has gone missing as the United Nations raise concerns over the lack of freedom for campaigners. Samar Abbas, an IT worker and head of the anti-militancy Civil Progressive Alliance, vanished under mysterious circumstances after arriving in Pak capital Islamabad from Karachi, according to one of his colleagues- Talib Raza.
"We formed the alliance to protect the rights of minorities. He had launched a struggle against the banned militant outfits' activities and we together staged protests for the rights of the minorities," he said. "This seems to be an organised attempt to shut the progressive and liberal voices in the country." In this month alone, four Leftist bloggers have been reported missing, raising fears of a crackdown on social media, the last place for free speech in a country where journalism faces serious threats.
Human Rights Watch said their near simultaneous disappearances raised concerns of government involvement. The government has, however, denied all allegations, with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan vouching that the Senate authorities would soon find all those missing. The United Nations and, Amnesty International have expressed concern for the missing activists. UN's special rapporteur on the right of freedom of expression, said, "No government should tolerate attacks on its citizens. By making the investigation of these disappearances an urgent priority, the Pakistani authorities can send a strong signal that they take seriously the responsibility for the life and security of all its citizens, particularly in cases involving freedom of expression."
Pakistan is also ranked among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists, and reporting critical of the military is considered a major red flag, with journalists at times detained, beaten and even killed. "The state has controlled TV and now they're focusing on digital spaces," the Dawn quoted, Raza Rumi, a writer and analyst who had left Pakistan in 2014 following an attack on him. A security source dismissed the involvement of intelligence services in the disappearances of the activists.
