PAKISTAN: Rashid Rehman - the Punjab government is conspicuously avoiding an investigation into his brutal murder

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information regarding the high profile and brutal assassination of the well known and respected human rights activist and lawyer, Rashid Rehman Khan. The government of Punjab has totally ignored the murder of a human rights defender and has not initiated any action that might lead to the arrest of the persons who threatened him. The district police of Multan have not filed a case against the killers whose names were mentioned by the deceased himself in a application to the district police officer in which he mentioned that if any harm comes to him the three persons named would be responsible. The police have not initiated any investigation into the case of the murder filed by the victim’s cousin. Nor have they contacted the three persons who threatened the victim before the judge that he would, “Not exist anymore”, if he continued to defend a university lecturer accused of blasphemy. It is alleged that the Federal Secretary of Law, Government of Pakistan, is the person who is creating hurdles for the investigation in order to save his cousin, Sajjad Chawan, a former Session Court judge, who was among the three persons who threatened the victim. The lawyers of the Multan High Court have received letters warning them they should not defend the case of any blasphemer otherwise they will face the same fate as that of Mr. Rehman.

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http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-070-2014