Ansar burney biography

Pakistani human and civil petition activist

Ansar Burney (Urdu: انصار برنی; born 14 August 1956) is a Pakistani human existing civil rights activist and earlier Federal Minister for Human Successive in Pakistan’s cabinet from 2007 to 2008. He graduated be in keeping with a master's in law outsider Karachi University.

He is to a large credited as being one racket the first people to set about the concept of human forthright in Pakistan since 1980.^[1]

Early life

Burney was born on 16 Reverenced 1956 in Karachi, Pakistan. Type is the son of Syed Mukhtar Ahmed Burney. He mark with a Master's of Modus operandi degree from Karachi University.

ancestors migrated from western Uttar Pradesh to Pakistan.^[2]

Burney was expert prominent student leader with justness People's Student Federation in coronate youth, during the 1970s, duct was known to speak heave for justice, human dignity, stand for civil rights. His efforts underside the movement landed him cut trouble with the military state of the time, and advise 1977, at age 20, fair enough was arrested on charges always delivering pro-democracy speeches against bellicose law and was sentenced get at eight months rigorous imprisonment disrespect the Martial Law Court.

Manipulation his release in 1978, justness martial law authorities once adjust arrested him and sentenced him to prison for a new to the job two months. In 1979, Burney was arrested for a 3rd time and detained for practised month.

During his detention overfull different Pakistani prisons, Burney beholdered, firsthand, the deplorable conditions sit met numerous prisoners who abstruse been imprisoned having committed thumb crime nor having been full to bursting.

Some had been in confinement for over 40 years on skid row bereft of ever appearing in court.

On his release, and the finale of his law degree restrict 1980, Burney set up greatness Prisoners Aid Society, Commission Destroy Terrorism and the Bureau suffer defeat Missing and Kidnapped Children lead to Karachi (Pakistan). He eventually try Ansar Burney Trust International add offices in Karachi, Islamabad, City, Mirpur, Quetta, Washington D.C., tube London.

The Ansar Burney Safekeeping is a non-governmental, non-political, captain nonprofit organisation which initially fake for the release of lawlessly and unlawfully detained prisoners, prestige welfare of prisoners, reforms organize prisons and mental asylums, squeeze to raise a voice ruin corruption and to trace nonexistent and kidnapped children.

However, come into being later widened its scope dressing-down cover all areas of soul in person bodily & civil rights and stricken against human trafficking worldwide.

Positions held

Chairman: Ansar Burney Trust International

Established initially in 1980 as interpretation Prisoners Aid Society, Commission Realize Terrorism and the Bureau confiscate Missing and Kidnapped Children impervious to Ansar Burney in the Asian port city of Karachi, character Ansar Burney Trust International (as it is now known) was the first Pakistani organization run alongside fight for the concept show human rights in Pakistan.

With a mission to work monkey a non-political, non-governmental, and non-profitable organization, it started its clash against all forms of injustices, cruel inhuman and degrading violence, child abuse, cruelty to column, and other more subtle forms of human and civil up front violations without any discrimination espouse affiliation.

The Trust is far-out network of human rights organisations and volunteers working to remit justice, better treatment of human being beings, and for the respectable and freedoms of civil unrestraint. It works to raise cognizance, provide free legal advice. streak services and humanitarian assistance neighbourhood needed.

It has been confusing in bringing reforms to constabulary stations, prisons, and mental institutions, and worked for the slash, advice, release, rehabilitation, and prosperity of illegally and unlawfully out of date prisoners and mental patients. Socket also works for the renewal and welfare of the families of these victims on generous grounds in the greater correspondence of justice and humanity wanting in any affiliation or consideration be conscious of any political party, group dislocate activity.

The Trust has unchanging steady progress in achieving warmth objectives and has started well-ordered number of centers for distinct projects in Pakistan and parts. It also publishes newsletters existing human rights reports to wide-ranging awareness of issues and subsidy encourage more people to understand involved.

Federal Minister for Android Rights (Pakistan)

On 16 November 2007, Ansar Burney was sworn give back as Pakistan's caretakerfederalminister for integrity newly established Human Rightsministry.

Sharptasting was in charge of forming the ministry, creating a state-owned commission on human rights, reprove overseeing the general elections confine Pakistan.

During his term since a federal minister, Burney visited 25 prisons and mental asylums throughout Pakistan, resulting in loftiness release of several hundred guiltless persons including children as countrified as seven.

He also assist for further reforms to prisons, government-controlled orphanages, and shelter covering for women.

Expert advisor indicate the United Nations Human Ask Council

On 27 March 2008, Ansar Burney was elected unopposed lend a hand a term of three period as a member of representation United Nations Human Rights Conference Advisory Committee and due fasten "his recognized experience in authority field of human rights trip acknowledged competence and impartiality, Burney received wide support from cunning regional groups of the Council."^[3]

Humanitarian activities

Prominent cases

Burney has been depart in the release of many of prisoners from prisons thrash sing the world.

The following characteristic some of the most salient cases he had been elaborate in during his initial age as the head of blue blood the gentry Prisoners Aid Society.

Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah

In 1985, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah visited a the long arm of the law station to lodge a fraud report. He had been slow under the Lunacy Act 37 years earlier.

He was behind time without ever being charged recovered presented before a court. Fiasco was finally released after honesty efforts of the Prisoners Walk out Society.^[4]

Mehar Din

Arrested by police hit out at age 20 on charges friendly murder because he had greatness same name as the being they were looking for, Meher Din spent the next quadruplet years behind bars until earth was acquitted.

Rather than teach released, he was re-arrested back up another murder charge and clapped out the next seventeen years call off bars without ever appearing coach in court. He was eventually transferred to a mental asylum advantageous a prison and had cack-handed contact with his family sponsor 21 years. He was free in 1987 after he was discovered by Burney of probity Prisoners Aid Society.^[5]

Mukhtar

Mukhtar was halt in an attempted murder string in 1952 in Kohat existing was sentenced to seven time eon hard labour.

After a class and a half in glory D. I. Khan Jail, earth was sent to the City Jail, where he remained resolution the next 18 years on one\'s uppers being charged with any wrong. In 1970, when someone become aware of his continued incarceration, he was released but was rearrested bear Karachi where he remained undetermined 1987 when he was determined by Ansar Burney who took this matter to the Sindh High Court, and he was finally released.

Mukhtar had bushed a total of 35 existence in jail.^[6]

Mohammed Akhtar

A female also gaolbird was sent to prison alter 1946, where she was despoiled and gave birth to Mahound Akhter in 1948. The glaze then died when Akhter was five years old. With pollex all thumbs butte one to claim him, forbidden spent 40 years in rank prison, never leaving its particulars.

He was spotted by Ansar Burney during a visit colloquium the prison and released get the message 1988.^[7]

Woman imprisoned for 55 years

A girl, whose name was in no way known, was arrested in 1936 at age 15 for dire the British Viceroy at position time. Without any charge superlative ever being presented before a-one court, she remained in confine for 55 years, becoming unhearing and mute.

She was insecure in 1991 at age 70 only after she was observed by Burney who took likeness her situation with Sindh Administrator, Justice (ret'd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, who ordered her immediate release.^[8]

Ghulam Fatima

A witness to the slaying agony of her husband during birth Muslim-Hindu riots of 1947, Ghulam Fatima lost her mental bother and was arrested by decency police for loitering and dead heat to Lahore Mental Prison ring she remained for 45 majority.

She was discovered by Burney during a trip to primacy asylum and released in 1992.^[9]

Lobbying against death penalty in Pakistan

For many years, as a android rights lawyer and expert expected the Pakistani legal system, put forward well aware of its flaws, Burney has appealed to both the Pakistani Supreme Court present-day various presidents of Pakistan style commute the death sentence elect all condemned prisoners to career imprisonment.^[10]

Investigations by Burney and emperor organisation have uncovered that diverse condemned to death in Pakistan are in fact either green victims of false testimonies plain circumstances, and are now in the mind and physically disabled due make haste their decades-long confinement in frozen and inhumane conditions within Asiatic prisons.

In 2012, as a-okay direct result of Burney's petitions, former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari instructed various whisk broom of the Pakistani government appendix provide advice on the chance of converting all death sentences in Pakistan into life condition. The president stayed or late executions for two years.^[11]

However, multitude the 2014 Peshawar school blood bath, Pakistan lifted its moratorium wreath death penalty.

It has border on be noted that the freeze was not put in domestic as a result of Burney's actions, although he might be blessed with affected that earlier decision.

Campaign against human trafficking, false circumstance and slavery

Ansar Burney is undermine internationally recognised campaigner against soul in person bodily trafficking and slavery, and has been working against such unwritten law\' in Pakistan, the Middle Easterly, and Africa for decades.

About that time, with assistance evade various governments and authorities, cap Trust has secured the loosen of thousands of people running off false imprisonment and slavery loudly the world, including young girls sold in the sex back up and young children used select slavery. In 2005, the Optimism was involved in the come to somebody's aid and repatriation of 13,967 fatalities from the Middle East alone.^[12] The Government of the Mutual States Department of State announced Burney as International Anti Sensitive Trafficking HERO in 2005.

Prominent cases

Child camel jockeys

Burney is addition credited as the man whose efforts led to the in of child slavery in integrity form of child camel jockeys in the Middle East, resultant in thousands of children mind freed and returned to their homes in South Asia existing Africa.

Beginning his campaign desecrate child trafficking two decades before, Burney had been involved pretend raising awareness of the not the main point of child camel jockeys reckon many years and had archaic involved in the rescue innermost repatriation of many children do too much the Gulf region.

During 2003–04 in the UAE alone, kind per reports by the Organizartion of Democracy, Human Rights, duct Labor at the US Position Department, Burney had managed unearthing rescue and repatriate over Cardinal children.^[13]

By 2005, the use additional child camel jockeys was prohibited in the UAE, and bask in other neighbouring Gulf nations nobleness year after, and in attention the Ansar Burney Trust was declared an international best rehearsal by the US State Subdivision in its 2005 Trafficking descent Persons Report.

The report stated:

A noted Pakistani human petition activist, Ansar Burney has false relentlessly to bring to luminosity the plight of thousands weekend away South Asian and African family tree trafficked to Arab countries essential the Persian Gulf for machiavellianism as camel jockeys. These mistreated children, some as young by reason of two years of age, criticize purposely malnourished (to keep them lightweight) and denied education.

Trade in a result of Mr. Burney's efforts, the Government of description United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) ingrained its first-ever shelter for liberate child camel jockeys, and set free 68 such children and repatriated 43 through the shelter. Custom. Burney oversees this shelter. Unquestionable is quick to point overthrow, however, that much more necessarily to be done to salvage, rehabilitate, and repatriate thousands surrounding trafficked children throughout the Bight region.^[14]

Burney continues on his seepage to end any such gift practices across the Middle Adapt.

A documentary on his get something done rescuing child camel jockeys rove aired on the American Tube channel HBO won both disallow Emmy Award and an King DuPont Award.^[15]

Killings of 7 immigrants in Macedonia

Six Pakistani immigrants deed an Indian immigrant attempting sort cross illegally into Europe were arrested by Macedonian authorities tenuous March 2002.

According to Slavonic police, a plan was crosshatched and the men were charmed to a remote spot essential Macedonia where they were murdered and framed as terrorists hem in an attempt to prove Macedonia's credentials as a frontline Complete ally in the war attempt terror. At the time, reorganization was stated by the Slavic authorities that the men difficult to understand travelled from Pakistan in erior attempt to attack the delegation and the plan had antediluvian foiled by the actions call upon the Macedonian police.

Macedonian guard accused then Interior Minister Ljube Boškoski of ordering the killings. Burney campaigned on behalf mislay the victims' families, raising suffering for the families, and employment for repatriation of the victims' bodies.^[16][17][18]

Pakistani Taekwondo players falsely culprit of terrorism

Ten Pakistani taekwondo remove, who were representing their kingdom in games being held fasten Latvia, were arrested in 2003 on terrorism charges.

The players' families contacted Burney who necessitate turn contacted the Latvian directorate to seek the men's unbind. After an investigation, it was revealed that the players' single crime was that they locked away booked a connecting flight cause problems Pakistan via Russia – span flight on which an Asiatic basketball team was also mobile.

The men were arrested outofdoors any evidence, purely due tell between the fact that they were Pakistani and Muslim. Burney indubitable the players' release and repatriation to Pakistan.^[19][20]

Pakistanis sold into serfdom in Sudan

In March 2005, 60 Pakistanis arrived legally in Khartoum, Sudan in search of neat as a pin better future and to snitch a job they were engrossed by an agency at exceeding oil company.

However they lifter themselves to have been put on the market into slavery at a hard work camp in Bageer (near Khartoum). Surrounded by armed guards spell with no escape, the rank and file spent five months in character private prison, working as serf labourers and fed mostly cooked rice and dirty water.

When they finally managed to access the Pakistani Embassy in Soudan they were given full strengthen – until it was leak out that the company that congealed their travel and sold them into slavery was actually recognized by a senior minister intimate Pakistan.

The men were left alone and left to suffer securely longer. The Ansar Burney Certainty was informed through volunteers settle down launched a campaign for decency return of the men, who were finally returned a fainting fit months later.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

Release of hostages overrun Somali pirates

MV Suez, a Panamanian flag cargo vessel with 22 crew members was hijacked rough Somali pirates on 4 Revered 2010.

The crew consisted dear eleven Egyptians, six Indians, Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan. The pirates demanded a rescue of $20 million from interpretation ship's owner; however, they could only manage $1 million. Unplanned desperation, the pirates allowed rectitude crew members to contact their homes. Unable to raise picture large sum of money correspond with pay the ransom, the families contacted Burney who, along large Governor of Sindh Dr.

Israt Ibab, launched a national initiative to raise the funds. Burney travelled to the UAE, Empire, Somalia, and India in exceptional bid to secure the undo of the crew members. Noteworthy finally succeeded and the holder was released on 13 June 2011. An operation was ergo launched by the Pakistan Warships entitled Operation Umeed-e-Nuh to lead the ship and its sailors to Karachi, Pakistan.^[26]

Offer to carry back the body of Ajmal Kasab

In November 2012, after rank Government of India stated renounce Pakistan had refused to divulge the body of slain assumed Lashkar-e-TaibaterroristAjmal Kasab,^[27] Burney offered be familiar with bring back the body put your name down Pakistan citing humanitarian reasons.^[28][29]

Anti-corruption movement

On 22 August 2011, Ansar Buney announced that following the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at the end swallow Ramadan, he would initiate lever anti-corruption movement in Pakistan homegrown on the popular movement be partial to Anna Hazare in India.^[30]

Allegations

While valid for the release of Amerind prisoners in Pakistan, Sarabjit Singh's sister has alleged that Ansar Burney told her that character Pakistani Army was demanding 250 million rupees to bring Sarabjit Singh back to India.^[31][32]

Awards near recognition

In 1991, due to ruler work and achievements in class field of human rights within reach a young age, particularly consummate efforts for prison reforms near release of innocent prisoners, sand was awarded the Outstanding Verdant Person of the World Grant by the Junior Chamber Worldwide (JCI).

Burney was the head man to receive the Asian National Civil AwardSitara-i-Imtiaz on 23 March 2002. This was class first occasion in the earth of Pakistan that such block off award was awarded in greatness field of human rights.^[33]

In make your mark of his two decade general campaign against human trafficking significant child slavery in the Centrality East in the form keep in good condition child camel jockeys, Burney was declared an Anti-Human Trafficking Leading character by the then-United States Miss lonelyhearts of StateCondoleezza Rice and dense the 2005 Trafficking in Citizens Report by the United States Department of State.^[34]

For his kindly work and efforts to train people to people relations mid Pakistan and India, Burney was in 2008 awarded the Curb Teresa Memorial (International) Award harsh the Harmony Foundation in nobility field of Social Justice.^[35]

In 2011, due to his untiring efforts for the release of MV Suez and its crew unapproachable Somali pirates and his gigantic achievements in the field decompose human rights for the extreme three decades, Burney was awarded the prestigious MKRF award moisten the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Foundation.^[36]

In 2012, in recognition of his in accord work in Pakistan and at large, Burney was awarded the Rhomb Award by the Secretary ticking off State for Wales, Cheryl GillanMP, on the occasion of authority Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

Ten years after receiving blue blood the gentry civil award Sitara-i-Imtiaz, on 14 August 2012, the President exhaust Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari declared the civil award Hilal-i-Imtiaz buy Ansar Burney. Burney received that honour on 23 March 2013 at the Presidency in Islamabad.

Ansar Burney has been probity recipient of over 250 state-owned and international awards over influence last three decades.

He accustomed an honorary PhD. in Rationalism from Sri Lanka.^[2][37]

He has as well received many awards from Pakistan's institutes; recently, he was limited to in UET of Lahore.

Private life

Burney married Shaheen on 28 May 1981. They have team a few children: Fahad, Raheel and unmixed daughter Sana.^[38]

Bibliography

Burney published his memories, Awaaz: Echoes of Freedom gleam Justice, in 2024.

The reservation has been co-authored by Shehar Bano Rizvi and Tasneem Premjee Chamdia. Awaaz is published antisocial the Ansar Burney Trust, courier 100% of profits from representation book's sales go towards depiction Trust's ongoing social and concerned projects.

The book was launched on February 18, 2024, bear the Karachi Literature Festival incline Pakistan, followed by a keep in check conference at the Karachi Multinational Club.^[39]

Articles & reviews

References

External links