No End To Intimidation?
Dear Friends,
My security, as well as the safety and security of Naseem Akhtar, the managing director of Mukhtar Mai Women’s Welfare Organization, is at stake due to the threats from Tariq Ghazlani and Abid Ghazlani of Jatoi district Muzafargarh at the behest of local political powers. They have openly announced their desire to bomb the vehicles and buildings of our organization at Meerwala to assassinate Naseem and myself.
The most recent move against us took place Sept. 16, 2009, when two influential community figures of the nearby town of Jatoi filed a report at the police station, falsely accusing us of involvement in a murder.
We strongly believe that this is a tactic of victimization to defame us and stop our struggle for women’s rights in the remote areas of Pakistan. Moreover, it is another effort to put pressure on me to drop the charges against the 13 men of the Mastoi tribe who were involved either in the verdict against me or who gang raped me in 2002.
We have been in contact with police officials at district and provincial levels. However, the appeals remain unattended, and no concrete action has yet been taken.
We ask you to please send your interventions to put pressure on the government of Pakistan to take measures to stop this intimidation and ensure my safety and security along with my associates.
We recommend sending written interventions to the following and the to Ambassador of Pakistan in your country:
Write letters to the following:
His Excellency
Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
President of Pakistan
President's Avenue
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Email: ppp@comsats.net.pk
Phone: +92-51-9206069
Fax: +92-51-9203297 & +92-51-9221422
His Excellency
Mr. Yousuf Raza Gillani
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Email: spokesmannofa@gmail.com
Phone: +92-51-9206111
Fax: +92-51-9206907
Mr. Rehman Malik
Advisor / Minister for Interior
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Email Address: ministry.interior@gmail.com, interior.complaintcell@gmail.com
Phone : +92-51-9212026
Fax: +92-51-9202624
Ms. Sherry Rehman
Minister for Women Development
1/F, State Building: 5
Ministry of Women Development
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Phone: +92-51-9201083
Mr. Salman Tasseer
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Lahore
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92-42-9200077