Freedom House Mourns Death of Pakistani Activist Irfan Ali Khudi
Washington
Photo courtesy of Ghalib Khalil, via Tumblr
Freedom House mourns the death of 33-year-old human rights activist Irfan Ali Khudi, who was killed in a string of bomb attacks in Quetta, Pakistan by terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned Sunni militant group with ties to the Pakistani Taliban.
“We are shocked and saddened by the death of Irfan Ali Khudi and other members of the media in Pakistan,” said Karin Karlekar, project director of the Freedom of the Press survey at Freedom House. “Their deaths are a blow to the cause of human rights and press freedom in Pakistan, and a sign that authorities need to do more to protect human rights defenders and journalists.”
Khudi was on his way home when the first bombing occurred. According to reports, he barely escaped the first blast, and was helping those injured in the attack when a second suicide bomber blew up a nearby vehicle, killing Khudi, along with several journalists and rescue workers. At least 81 people were killed and 170 injured in the blasts.
Khudi worked closely with Bytes for All (B4A), Pakistan, a human rights organization focusing on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as an advisor for their Take Back the Tech project, which worked to strengthen women’s strategic use of ICT to combat violence against women and girls.
In the past year, the city of Quetta has been the target of dozens of attacks. These last bombings though mark the worst sectarian assault on the city since the violence began in 2000. Attacks continue to be led by the group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and are aimed at the Hazara population, a group of minority Shiites.
The climate in Pakistan has become increasingly hostile for journalists, human rights workers and humanitarian activists as they face an unprecedented level of violence and threats from a range of sources, including the military, intelligence services, and militant groups. This violence threatens to destabilize the country, particularly with general elections scheduled for June 2013.
“Pakistan, which is one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the world, must put in place concrete protection mechanisms for rights activists and journalists,” added Karlekar.
Pakistan is rated Partly Free in Freedom in the World 2012, and Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2012 and Freedom on the Net 2012.
To learn more about Pakistan, visit:
Freedom in the World 2012: Pakistan
Freedom of the Press 2012: Pakistan
Freedom on the Net 2012: Pakistan
Policing Belief: The Impact of Blasphemy Laws on Human Rights
Blog: The Ravages of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
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