Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Office of the Prime Minister
Islamabad, Pakistan

Your Excellency:

I am writing to express my concern for the safety of Asma Jahangir, a human rights lawyer in Pakistan who has been threatened and harassed because of her work on a number of human rights issues. Most recently she has been attacked for her public criticism of the blasphemy law and for her defense of women’s rights.

After winning an acquittal for one of her clients who had been sentenced to death, a gang of armed men forced their way into her brother’s home looking for her. Fortunately, she managed to escape. I trust you agree that incidents such as this one against must not be allowed to continue, and I ask your government to do all within its power to ensure Asma Jahangir’s safety.

Human rights activists everywhere, including Asma Jahangir and others like her in Pakistan, have the right to actively and peacefully oppose human rights violations, denounce such violations whenever they occur, and give their support to the victims. They should be able to rely on their government to protect their right to work on behalf of human rights and to pursue their peaceful activities without endangering their own lives or the lives of their families.

I believe it is the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to guarantee the free exercise of the right to promote and defend human rights within its borders. Therefore, I strongly urge your government to protect and promote this right, to prevent it from being threatened, restricted or suppressed, and to protect the liberties and security of those who exercise it.

Respectfully yours,