Noam Chomsky writes to Chief Justice Pakistan

Raises concerns about Dr Shahbaz Gill and Human Right Violations

An open letter to the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan regarding concerns about torture, media clampdown and intimidation

Dear Chief Justice Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial,

We are extremely concerned about the disturbing trend of suppression of media freedom in Pakistan and the use of illegal methods such as torture to subdue political opponents.

The most pressing case is the recent violent arrest of Dr. Shahbaz Gill (Chief of Staff to Chairman PTI Imran Khan and Assistant Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) who was charged with sedition[1] for voicing concerns on ARY TV about government officers taking illegal actions.[2] Subsequently, there are disturbing reports of Dr. Gill being stripped[3] and tortured[4] [5] and being placed in the death cell.[6] The wife of his driver was also picked up and imprisoned with her 10-month-old suckling baby.[7] [8]

We are also witnessing severe suppression of media freedom as exemplified by the ban on the ARY TV channel which is one of Pakistan's biggest and oldest private TV channels.[9] [10]  A blanket ban on one of the most well-established TV channels for airing criticism of the government gives credence to the concerns that the regime is operating in a fascist manner and displaying a flagrant disregard for human rights and freedom of speech. The ban has been accompanied by harassment and intimidation of media workers, and late-night raids against well-respected media executives.[11] Explicit and implicit intimidation and threats have forced prominent TV anchors and journalists such as Arshad Sharif and Sabir Shakir to flee the country.[12] [13]

The actions above are fascist in nature and against the basic tenets of any functioning democracy. They are blatant acts of harassment, intimidation, and censorship against Pakistan’s media. The International Federation of Journalists (which is the world's largest organisation of journalists) as well as intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky have raised urgent concerns on these matters.[14] [15] [16] We firmly reiterate their demand. Intimidatory arrests and torture violate several human rights conventions including the Convention Against Torture (CAT).

We support a return to a truly democratic dispensation and urge the relevant authorities to adhere to and ensure fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and safeguard from torture.

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Signatories ¹² ³

1. Naeem Ahmad Poet, writer, and social worker

2. Samina Ahmad Doctor, Founder Salman and Samina Global Wellness Initiative

3. Waqas Ahmed Journalist

4. Salman Ahmed UN Goodwill Ambassador / Focal person on Arts & Culture

5. Shakil Akhtar Professor Clayton State University, USA

6. Habib Akram Journalist and Author

7. Hassan Aslam Shad International Lawyer

8. Rabia Aziz Academic, Canada

9. Haris Aziz Scientia Associate Professor, UNSW

10. Sarwar Bari Author and activist

11. Farhan Chak Associate Professor of Political Science

12. Muhammad Aamir Cheema Associate Professor at Monash University

13. Noam Chomsky Emeritus Professor at MIT, Philosopher, Author

14. Khurram Chughtai Strategic Counsel

15. Tatyana Deryugina Associate Professor, University of Illinois

16. Aravinda Garimella Assistant Professor, University of Illinois

17. Naureen Farooq Khan Ex Member National Assembly

18. Gabriele Gratton Professor of Politics and Economics, UNSW

19. Catherine Greenhill Professor

20. Imtiaz Gul Journalist and author

21. Wencui Han Assistant Professor University of Illinois

22. Isa Hafali Professor of Economics, University Technology Sydney

23. Raoof Hasan Chief Executive at Regional Peace Institute, Columnist

24. Kinza Hashmi Actor

25. Javed Hassan Columnist

26. Zafar Hilaly Former Diplomat, Columnist, and Analyst

27. Hadi Hosseini Assistant Professor, Pennsylvania State University, USA

28. Ch. Ghulam Hussain Journalist, Editor

29. Azhar Imran Lawyer and Professor, Punjab University, Lahore.

30. Kamal Jabbar Barrister

31. Javed Jabbar Former Senator, Federal Minister, author

32. Dr. Khurram Kayani Educationist and philanthropist

33. Aila Khan Dr. / Senior Lecturer Western Sydney University

34. Ejaz Khan President Pakistan Australia Association

35. Seema Khan Academic, Deakin University

36. Shandana Gulzar Khan Parliamentarian

37. Andrew Korybko Moscow-based American political analyst

38. Jérôme Lang Researcher at CNRS, France

39. Barton E. Lee Academic at Magdalen College, Oxford, UK

40. Mariam Malik Social Activist

41. Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari Former Minister of Human Rights

42. Najma Minhas Managing Editor and CEO of Global Village Space Publications

43. Jameson Neff Mathematics Instructor at Lake Land College, USA

44. Dr. Rita Pal Human Rights Activist, Won at the UNHRC for Kashmir 2018

45. Samina Peerzada Actor, Director, Producer

46. Moeed Pirzada Editor Global Village Space Publications

47. Yvonne Ridley Journalist, author, and politician

48. Muhammad Usman Sami Advocate High Courts

49. Shaheen Sehbai Journalist, former Group Editor

50. Salman Shabbir Founder OpVoters

51. Jarrar Shah Entrepreneur

52. Saleeha Shah Artist & Businesswoman

53. Faisal Sherjan Media, Entrepreneur

54. Khadija Siddiqi Barrister and activist

55. Soufia Siddiqi Assistant Professor

56. Muhammad Azhar Siddique Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, Human Rights Activist

57. Mehr Tarar Author, Columnist, Analyst

58. Toby Walsh Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor, UNSW

59. Chris Williamson Former UK Member of Parliament

60. Leyla Zuberi Actor

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[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-10/imran-khan-ally-arrested-for-sedition-after-army-comments

[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pakistan-arrests-close-aide-to-ex-pm-khan-on-treason-charge/2022/08/09/666367ea-1814-11ed-b998-b2ab68f58468_story.html

[3] https://www.globalvillagespace.com/imran-khan-condemns-torture-against-shahbaz-gill/

[4] https://mmnews.tv/shahbaz-gill-being-brutally-tortured-during-captivity-alleges-imran-khan/

[5] https://92newshd.tv/about/imran-khan-strongly-condemns-torture-being-inflicted-on-shahbaz-gill

[6] https://arynews.tv/adiala-jail-top-officers-removed-for-keeping-shahbaz-gill-in-chakki/

[7] https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/08/11/brother-in-law-of-gills-driver-remanded-to-police-wife-sent-to-jail/

[8] https://www.globalvillagespace.com/releasebabygirl-trends-in-pakistan/

[9] https://www.dawn.com/news/1704589/pemra-moves-against-ary-news-after-licence-revoked

[10] https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-suspends-tv-channel-critical-of-government/6693898.html

[11] https://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-arrests-tv-executive-over-182609256.html

[12] https://www.dawn.com/news/1704976

[13] https://arynews.tv/sabir-shakir-case-filed-against-another-anchorperson-of-ary-news/

[14] https://tribune.com.pk/story/2362158/chomsky-other-academics-pen-open-letter-to-pm-over-deteriorating-human-rights

[15] https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/pakistan-ary-news-broadcast-suspended-across-country-executive-arrested.html

[16] https://www.geo.tv/latest/423334-imran-khan-mentions-noam-chomskys-letter-to-pm-shehbaz-sharif

1. The initial list is sorted alphabetically on the surname. Later entries, after 60, would be entered chronologically.

2. Institutions are listed only for identification purposes.

3. All signatories signed individually