A prominent human rights activist in Pakistan now stares down a life sentence. The charge: campaigning for the disappeared. The government calls it sedition. The families call it justice. And the UK has just called for a fair trial. But in a country where military courts have swallowed due process, that may be a pipedream.
Sources close to the case confirm the activist, whose name is withheld for safety, has been held in solitary for weeks. The charges stem from a public protest in Islamabad demanding answers on the fate of missing persons, a blot on the country's human rights record that stretches back decades. The government alleges the activist incited violence and undermined state security. But human rights groups say the real crime was speaking truth to power.
Documents obtained by this bureau paint a different picture. They show a coordinated campaign to silence dissent, with intelligence agencies tracking the activist's every move. The trial, held in a closed military court, has been riddled with irregularities. Witnesses recanted. Evidence was fabricated. The judge recused himself twice.
The UK's intervention, a statement from the Foreign Office calling for "due process and fair treatment", is notable but toothless. Pakistan's military establishment remains largely immune to diplomatic pressure, especially on the issue of missing persons. Estimates suggest thousands have vanished since 2010, many picked up by security forces for alleged ties to separatist or militant groups. The government denies any systematic disappearance programme.
But the families know the truth. They have kept the flame alive with vigils and court petitions. The activist was their voice. Now that voice is facing a dusty cell for the rest of his days.
The case has echoes of the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed in Kenya in 2022 after criticising the military. The establishment does not forgive those who rattle the cage. The activist knew the risks. He chose to speak anyway.
The trial is set to resume next week. The verdict is almost certain. The UK's call for fairness is a welcome gesture, but gestures do not stop life sentences. The disappeared men remain disappeared. And their champion now faces the same fate: silence, institutionalised.
