https://arab.news/8h2ay
- Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan were detained by police outside the Islamabad Press Club
- No charges were specified, and both rights activists were released by the police later in the day
ISLAMABAD: Two senior human rights activists, Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan, were briefly detained by police on Friday outside the Islamabad Press Club for ostensibly protesting against Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza before their release later in the day.
A video purportedly showing their arrest depicts them wearing Palestinian flags and keffiyeh scarves as they are escorted away by women police personnel, along with a man and three youths.
Abdullah can be seen asking a policeman why they are being taken away. She then tells the female police personnel not to push her and Khan, and requests that they be moved to a separate car instead of the police truck.
鈥淭hey [Abdullah and Khan] were illegally picked up from outside the Islamabad Press Club premises and taken away to the women police station in G-7,鈥� lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha told Arab News.
鈥淭hey aren鈥檛 allowed to meet their counsel to discuss options,鈥� he continued. 鈥淪tation House Officer (SHO) Misbah Waqas is refusing to let their families and counsel meet them.鈥�
Police did not specify any charges against the two rights activists. Islamabad police spokesperson Dr. Taqi Javed also did not respond to a query from Arab News in this regard.
Last year in May, Abdullah was among the protesters who staged a demonstration at Islamabad鈥檚 D-Chowk in support of the Palestinians. She had urged everyone to come out in large numbers, saying the Pakistani government would not pay heed to their demands otherwise.
The Islamabad Press Club is a key venue in Pakistan鈥檚 capital where journalists and activists hold press conferences and protests. It serves as a platform for raising awareness and drawing media attention to political and social issues. Protesters use it to voice demands and push for government action.
A video of Abdullah and Khan that was later shared by lawyer Chattha shows them stepping out of the police precinct after being released, chanting the slogan, 鈥淔ree, free Palestine.鈥�
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.