Urgent appeal to the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan & the international community: Put an end to state terrorism, immediately release political leaders, workers, journalists and citizens. Act now to safeguard human rights and defend democracy in Pakistan.

Open Letter to United Nations, Int'l Court of Justice & Supreme Court of Pakistan
Appeal: No Elections - No Remittance from Overseas for Pakistan

Updates:
May 13th: Orchestrated Attack on Corps Commandeer House 
May 12th: Journalist Imran Riaz illegally abducted, tortured, and in coma
May 12th: Despite given bail by court, Imran Khan trapped for 3 hours as military surrounds Islamabad High Court
May 11th: Supreme Court of Pakistan rules Imran Khan's arrest is illegal
May 9th: Imran Khan's statement before departing for hearing on May 9th

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ILLEGAL ABDUCTION OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was illegally abducted on May 9th 2023 while appearing for a hearing in the Islamabad High Court. Dozens of paramilitary troops in riot-control gear stormed into the court house and led Pakistan's most popular leader into a black van. During the process he was brutally manhandled and hit with batons on his head and injured leg, which was already damaged during an assassination attempt a few months prior.

A wave of protests erupted as people rallied in solidarity with their leader. However, the peaceful crowds were infiltrated by armed men disguised as civilians, who began to vandalize public property and incite violence. Despite efforts by genuine protestors to stop them, the actions of these infiltrators were used by propaganda journalists to paint the protestors as violent. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence to suggest that these unknown individuals had deliberately infiltrated the peaceful demonstrations to escalate the situation and create justification for declaring a state of emergency.

Imran Khan, as a leader, and the political party PTI, firmly believe in peaceful resistance as a cornerstone of their political ideology.

STATE SPONSORED VIOLENCE ON PROTESTORS
The state-sponsored violence against peaceful protestors and any dissenting voices must stop. Over 50 people have lost their lives while exercising their democratic right to peaceful protest; countless others including political workers, supporters, and journalists, men, women and children, young and old, have been unlawfully abducted and detained. Mobile data services are suspended, and access to social media platforms is restricted. These acts are a clear violation of human rights and democracy, and they cannot be ignored. 

ABDUCTIONS OF POLITICAL LEADERS, JOURNALISTS & SUPPORTERS
The illegal abduction of Imran Khan was followed by a crackdown and abduction of senior leadership and workers of his political party (Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf - PTI), several prominent journalists Imran Riaz Khan, Orya Maqbool Jaan, Aftab Iqbal and more than 7,000 PTI supporters. The subsequent chaos that ensued appears to have been orchestrated with the intention of escalating the situation, deceitfully injecting anarchy on the streets, thereby providing an excuse for the fascist regime to delay the elections scheduled for May 14th.

This regime is not only suppressing the people's voices, but also sabotaging their fundamental right to vote thus undermining the democratic process.

We urge the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan and the international community to act swiftly and decisively and use diplomatic and legal means to ensure the immediate release of Imran Khan and his supporters, end state violence and hold those responsible for these heinous acts accountable.

We need your support to put an end to state terrorism, protect human rights and democracy in Pakistan.

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REFERENCES:

In the News:
It’s Time for the Generals to Let Go in Pakistan
Paramilitary forces storm into Islamabad High Court building
Footage of the Illegal Abduction of former PM Imran Khan
Moiz Jafri (lawyer) on the illegal nature of Imran Khan's arrest 
International media reporting while Pakistani media blacks out protests
UN Secretary General Statement on Imran Khan's Arrest
Human Rights Watch​   |   BBC Newsnight​  |   Sky News
Reuters​  |  Bloomberg​  |  Time​  |   Channel 4 News​  |   ABC News
South Asia Index: Social Media sites blocked​  |  The Friday Times
Amnesty International​  |  Financial Times​  |  TRT World
Arab News Pakistan​  |  Tehran Times​  |  NEXTA TV​  |  CPJ Asia 
Independent Media not allowed to cover the proceedings of Imran Khan’s case in Supreme Court on May 11th
Indefinite internet shutdown in Pakistan  

State terrorism against peaceful protestors:
Flash Protests: Karachi​  |  Islamabad​  |   Pindi Cantt​  |  Karachi (Mil Mall)
March to Pindi​  |   Lahore​  |  London​  |   Chicago​  |   Toronto
Lahore protest​  |  Rawalpindi​   |   Overseas Protests​   |   Mississauga   
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Right to peacefully protest subverted in Pakistan   
Peaceful protesters make way for ambulance  
Police brutality and state terrorism on May 9th & 10 
PTI leader Shah Farman telling people to protest peacefully 
Unknown men in civil clothes infiltrate peaceful protests  
Men in civil clothes infiltrate peaceful protests
Men in plain clothes carrying guns infiltrate peace marchers 
Men in plain clothes dragging a female protestor
State terrorism: General Asim Muneer behind attack on Core Commander House 
State terrorism: Police burning vehicle themselves
State terrorism: Armed men in plain clothes aiding violence on protesters
Protest: PTI leader instructing the party workers to protest peacefully and be wary of people inciting violence 
Protest: Azaadi chants in Islamabad 
Police Brutality: Police attacks peaceful protestors  
Police Brutality: Police setting cars on fire 
Police Brutality: Police beating a peaceful protestor
Police Brutality: Female protestors repeatedly attacked by police  
Police Brutality: Civilians injured by shooting    
Police Brutality: Children abducted from peaceful protests and being detained by police   
Police Brutality: Shelling on homes giving water to protestors 
Police Brutality: Police and men in plain clothes destroying citizens vehicles
Police Brutality: Firing on protestors in Faisalabad   
Quetta: Direct firing by police on protestors  
Men in civil clothes infiltrating protestors 
Men in civil clothes behind vandalism and arson attack  
State sponsored terrorism: Jinnah House was destroyed before protestors even entered the property
Police Brutality: Women being dragged and stopped from protesting     
Police Brutality: Shelling outside GHQ    
Police Brutality: Punjab Police beating young protestors for carrying PTI flag 
Police Brutality: Unarmed peaceful women protestors attacked by police
Police Brutality: Girl with physical disability being dragged and stopped from peacefully protesting   
Police Brutality: Carrying a PTI party flag is a crime in fascist Pakistan
Police Brutality: Straight firing by police in faisalabad protest    
Police shelling on families protesting against the illegal abduction of Imran Khan 
Police destroying public property   
Police Brutality: Teargassing protestors  
Police brutality: Firing on Lahore protestors   
Police Brutality: Firing on protestors near Bannu Cantt  
Police Brutality: Shelling on Srinagar Highway   
Police Brutality: Faisalabad police straight fire on protestors      
Police Brutality: Women and children arrested  
Police Brutality: Shelling in Islamabad 
Police violence on protestors    
IG Punjab threatening young Pakistanis of state retaliation if they exercise their right to peacefully protest
Crackdown on PTI leadership
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Police raid house of Usman Dar  
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Fawad Chaudhry arrested  
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Alia Hamza arrested  
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Raid on AslamIqbal's house    
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Raid on Haleem Adil Sheikh   
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Raid on Imran Ismail's house   
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Shah Mahmoud Qureshi arrested   
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Shireen Mazari abducted
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Yasmeen Rashid arrested
Crackdown on PTI: Social Media worker Jawad Abbasi shot in leg   
Crackdown on PTI: Social Media activist Wasim Wazir shot in leg    
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Police Raid Shahram Tarakai's House
Crackdown on PTI leadership: Police Raid on Zartaj Gun Wazir's House 
Bureaucracy aiding the unlawful arrests by signing blank FIRs  
Country-wide internet shutdown   
Millions of families affected by internet shutdown across Pakistan
Life threats to Pakistani journalist in Washington   
Illegal abduction and detention of journalists  
Journalist Imran Riaz arrested
Message from journalist Aftab Iqbal's daughter regarding her father's abduction
International Human Rights Foundation expresses full support for Pakistani journalist Moeed Pirzada

Policy-makers, politicians, journalists and influencers respond to the arrest:
Shandana Gulzar​  |  President PTI Canada​  |  Murad Saeed   
Ata Allah Issa Khelvi​  |  Amanat Ali​  |  Moeed Pirzada    
Faisal Fareed Chaudhry​  |   Dr. Asif Mahmood   |   
Adam van Koeverden​  |  Ashok Swain​  |  Ben Goldsmith
Salma Zahid​  |    Sameer Zuberi & Melanie Joly     
Congressman Brad Sherman​  |  Cat Stevens​  |  Kenneth Roth     
Prof Azeem Ibrahim​  |  Abdulla Alamadi​   |  Steve Hank  
Tony Ashai​   |  Turgay Evren​   |  Khaled Beydoun​   |   George Galloway
Sangar Paykhar​  |   Zalmay Khalilzad​  |   Peter Oborne 
Yusuf / Cat Stevens​   |    Britain's failure to condemn IK arrest
Young supporter of Imran Khan​  |   Youth join protest against IK arrest 
Supporter from Gulf send prayers for Imran Khan & Pakistan
Bangladeshi Pakistani couple show solidarity with Imran Khan
Supporter from Palestine sends love for Imran Khan