Disappearance of Samar Abbas

On 1 February 2017, the Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) received a complaint filed against five human rights defenders, Ahmed Raza Naseer, Salman Haider, Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed and Samar Abbas, for allegedly committing blasphemy on social media. The FIA subsequently clarified that no case has yet been registered, but they are evaluating the complaint. The five human rights defenders were disappeared for at least three weeks in January 2017. The whereabouts of one, Samar Abbas, remains unknown.

Salman Haider is a human rights defender and a professor at Fatima Jinnah Women University in Rawalpindi. He has been working on minority rights, particularly in Balochistan where he has been critical about enforced disappearances. He has participated in rallies and protests against the disappearances of nationalists and separatists from Balochistan province.  In 2016, there were more than 400 abductions and enforced disappearances of Baloch civilians by the security forces. Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed are both human rights defenders and co-administrators of a Facebook page, Mochi and Group: Citizens for Secular Democracy, where they campaign for human rights and religious freedom. Their blog involves reports on human rights violations committed by security forces and religious extremists in Pakistan. This Facebook page is no longer accessible. Ahmed Raza Naseer is a human rights defender and was administrator of a Facebook page, since shut down, that reported on human rights violations committed by security forces and religious extremists in Pakistan. Samar Abbas is the president of the Civil Progressive Alliance Pakistan (CPAP). CPAP is a human rights group based in Karachi which campaigns for human rights and religious freedom. Their blog reports on human rights violations committed by security forces and religious extremists in Pakistan. Samar Abbas also worked in Karachi with various internet forums that report on the oppression of Pakistan’s ethnic and religious minority groups.

On 1 February 2017, Hafiz Ahtasham Ahmed filed a complaint with the Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Station in Iqbal Town, stating that the FIA should act against the five above-mentioned human rights defenders for allegedly spreading blasphemous content on social media, which is illegal under Section 295 C of the Blasphemy law and the Anti-Terrorism Act. During the course of their disappearance, an online smear campaign was launched, labeling the five human rights defenders as blasphemers. The FIA ordered an investigation to be opened on Salman Haider and he is banned from travelling abroad until it has reached a conclusion.  Judicial permission was also granted for the initiation of an investigation against the other four human rights defenders.

On 4 January 2017, Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed were reported missing from Wapda Town, Lahore. On 6 January 2017, Salman Haider disappeared from Islamabad. On 7 January 2017, Samar Abbas was travelling from Karachi to Islamabad for business. His family reported that he was in continuous communication with them until 7 January 2017 when his mobile phone was switched off and he became uncontactable. On 7 January 2017, Ahmed Raza Naseer was taken from his family’s shop in Punjab province by unidentified men.

On 28 January 2017, four of the five human rights defenders, Ahmed Raza Naseer, Salman Haider,  Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed were released separately. Salman Haider returned home without commenting on his disappearance. Shortly after his release Waqas Goraya  left the country.  Waqas Goraya’s father declined to comment on who had detained the human rights defender. Asim Saeed has also left the country.  Asim Saeed’s father reported that the family of the human rights defender had received death threats, with one text message saying “You who have blasphemed deserve death. You are out of Islam and should be ready for a painful punishment, which will be remembered by your generations to come.”  Ahmed Raza Naseer has also been freed. The whereabouts of the fifth human rights defender, Samar Abbas, remain unknown.

Front Line Defenders expresses grave concern over the judicial harassment against human rights defenders Salman Haider, Ahmed Raza Naseer, Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed and Samar Abbas, and Samar Abbas’ continued disappearance. Front Line Defenders  urges the authorities to carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the disappearance of  Samar Abbas, which it believes is solely motivated by his peaceful and legitimate work in human rights in Pakistan.