Imran Anjum
Imran Anjum is a human rights defender from the city of Sahiwal, Punjab province. He is the Founder and the Executive Director of Peaceful & Active Center for Humanity (PEACH), a non-government organisation working for the social and economic development of some of the most disadvantaged communities in Pakistan. Imran Anjum is directly involved in the provision of legal aid to people from these communities and advocacy on the rights of bonded labourers, including working children and brick kiln workers. Currently, the organisation is running a campaign across the Punjab province aiming at raising awareness among the brick kiln workers about their rights.
Pakistan is one of the most challenging countries in the region for human rights defenders, who face high risks including killing, arbitrary arrest and detention, abduction and kidnapping, surveillance, threats and judicial harassment. Many HRDs have had their offices attacked or burnt down and their colleagues killed. Pakistan also has one of the highest records in terms of outstanding requests for country visits by the UN Special Procedures. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders alone has made four requests to visit the country in 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2010, all of which remained unanswered.
