Amina Masood Janjua

Amina Masood Janjua
آمنہ مسعود جنجوعہ
Background information
Birth name Amina Akhtar
Born April 28, 1964
Origin Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Occupation(s) Human Rights Activist
Website http://www.dhrpk.org

Amina Masood Janjua, (Urdu: آمنہ مسعود جنجوعہ‎): born 28 April 1964, originally a painter and a poet, is known for her struggle against enforced disappearance in Pakistan. She is the chairperson of rights group Defence of Human Rights Pakistan.[1] She is the pioneer in raising the voice against the phenomenon of enforced disappearance in the country. Her career in activism started when her husband Masood Ahmed Janjua was disappeared on 30 July 2005. Apart from enforced disappearance her work include providing legal support to prisoners in foreign countries, arranging financial support to the families of victims of enforced disappearance and eradication of torture from jails and detention centers. She appears regularly on local and foreign media as the spokesperson of missing persons and occasionally contribute articles in Urdu and English dailies of the country.

Early life

She was born in an educated family from the marriage of Shahida and Islam Akhtar Zubari in Mardan, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Her paternal grandfather Inam Ahmed Khan was a landlord and also served as Cane Manager in a local sugar mill. Her father, living a retired life now, is an engineer by profession. Her mother is an amateur writer whose writing involves fiction and general articles and is being published regularly in local periodicals.

Education

She started her early education at Presentation Convent High School Risalpur (a town and air force base near Mardan) where she studied till tenth grade. After passing her matriculation she joined Nisar Shaheed College which is also in Risalpur. After two years study in Nisar Shaheed College she joined F.G College for Women Rawalpindi from where she passed her BA exams with English Literature, Persian and Fine Arts as majors.[2] As described by her in an interview she used to draw and paint on everything she could lay her hand on since very early childhood. This natural talent of painting led her to Punjab University from where she got master's degree in Fine Arts securing second position and was awarded Silver Medal. After masters Pakistan’s renowned painters Mansoor Rahi[3] and Hajira Mansoor mentored and played a vital role in polishing her painting skills.[4]

Career in Arts

As an artist her favoured medium is oil and acrylic paints. Most of her paintings reflect an inclination towards expressionism and romanticism. She usually like to paint portraits and life drawings. Her work had been exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions.

Poetry

Her poems occasionally appear on her blogs but she has not published any volume as of yet.[5]

Marital life

She is married to Masood Ahmed Janjua who belong to a military family. Her father in law Lieutenant Colonel Raja Ali Muhammad and two elder brothers in law had served in Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force. She has two sons and one daughter.

Husband’s disappearance

Her husband, Masood Ahmed janjua, who was a successful business man and ran multiple business concerns, left home to go to Peshawar on 30 July 2005 along with his friend Faisal Faraz but did not return home neither he reached his destination. His mysterious disappearance could not be accounted for initially but later on certain evidences convinced her that he had been picked up by an intelligence agency of the country. It was further established through the statement of one Dr Imran Munir who remained in the custody of military, was court martialed though released later on by the orders of Supreme Court of Pakistan. Dr Imran in an official statement given to the government functionaries testified that he has seen and met Masood Ahmed Janjua in a secret detention centre.

Her response to Masood’s disappearance

Amina states that she was devastated by the disappearance of her husband and found herself disoriented for many months while desperately taking random measures to trace her husband. Police was of no help and even did not register a case. She started to approach different figures then in power. She wrote letters to anyone who she thought could help including Gen Pervez Musharraf who was Army Chief and President of Pakistan at that time. All her efforts turned out to be futile as no one helped her.

Her Struggle

Formation of DHR - right’s group

Very early in her struggle she came to know that there are countless other people who are victims of enforced disappearance but do not have a remedy for their malady. Victim families were forced to remain silent for fear of persecution under military rule. She started campaigning among the victims families laying foundation for an activist group named Defence of Human Rights. Under the banner of Defence of Human Rights she organized her activities to trace not only her own husband but all the other disappeared. After disappointed from all quarters she got out of her home and staged her first road protest on 4 September 2006. But this first protest was not the last because she continued this protest on daily basis for next two months.

First breakthrough

After two months protest it was on 9th Oct 2006 that proceedings of Suo Moto case of Masood Janjua along with some other missing persons started in Supreme Court of Pakistan. Her campaigning brought results and by the end of 2006 DHR had registered and submitted 100 cases of disappearances into Supreme Court.

Brutal Crack down on the families of missing persons

On 28th Dec 2006 in a bid to deliver a letter at GHQ gate Amina was set on marching along with her kids and other families. But the authorities subjected them to a brutal crackdown in front of Flashman's hotel Rawalpindi. Children of Amina Masood Janjua were particularly targeted. Ali, 14, and Muhammad, 15, were beaten mercilessly and 9-year-old daughter was fainted. Muhammad was carried away forcefully by police.

Participation in Lawyer’s Movement

In 2007 earlier on 9 March and later on 3 November Gen Perwaiz Musharaf sacked Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry along with rest of the judiciary and put all the judges under house arrest. Pakistan’s civil society in general and lawyer’s community in particular were outraged and started an historical movement for the restoration of judiciary. The movement was popularly known as "Lawyers' Movement". Missing person families under Amina’s leadership stepped out and joined this movement. She participated with full force in every endeavour for the rule of law. At last the deposed Chief Justice and rest of the judges were restored on 16 March 2009.

First day/night Camp - 2009

Amina, whose only hope had been the judiciary, was heavily disappointed when the missing persons case could not appear on Supreme Court’s docket for many months. Sad but undaunted, she decided to jolt the Court. She set up a protest camp in a small tent right outside Supreme Court’s gate. She stayed in that tent for 12 days and 12 nights from 2 November 2009 to 13 November 2009.

Results of Camp-2009

At last her efforts bore fruit and the Registrar of Supreme Court called Amina Masood Janjua in his office on 13th Nov 2009 and promised for immediate hearing and asked to call off her sit-in. Resultantly hearing of cases of missing persons resumed on 23 November 2009 once again.

First Commission of Inquiry

In 2010, Under Supreme Court’s directions, government formed a commission of inquiry to resolve the missing persons cases which was headed by Justice (r) Mansoor Alam. Amina fully cooperated with this commission, worked day and night, and submitted cases of forced disappeared persons for investigation and accompanied every complainant for the proceedings. The commission concluded its finding and issued a report at the end of __________ months period. But government neither published the report nor acted upon its recommendations.

Second Commission of Inquiry

Instead of paying heed to the first commission of inquiry the government formed another commission of inquiry to resolve the issue of enforced disappearance. Although Amina had learnt by now that such commissions were merely tactics to give false hope and gain time, she started to work with this second commission as well. But this commission acted more in defence of the perpetrators of enforced disappearance than to find missing persons.

Arrest

On 16 March 2011 she along with her daughter and 40 other women, children and old men was arrested and remained detained overnight by the authorities while the congregation was on its way to present flowers to then Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on the anniversary of restoration of Judiciary.[6] This was the day infamous Raymond Davis was set free.

Second day/night Camp 2011

Anguished by the time wasted by the commission of inquiry and Supreme Courts dwindling interest in the missing persons issue, she organized a second day/night protest in front of parliament house Islamabad on 31 Oct 2011. She wrapped up this camp very next day on the appearance of Justice (r) Javaid Iqbal at the scene who is heading the commission of inquiry. The Judge announced in front of media that he, in his official capacity, promise to divulge a final solution for the recovery of the missing persons within two weeks time. But he did not keep his promise.

Third day/night Camp 2012

Continuing her struggle she organized third day/night protest camp in front of Parliament House Islamabad which started on 15 February 2012 and continued for 75 days till 30 April 2012. She along with families of more than 500 missing persons stayed on the road side, garnering huge support and attention of media and civil society.

Results of Camp-2012

Almost all the top leadership of important political parties visited the camp and showed solidarity with the cause including present Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif who was leading the opposition at the moment. Government under pressure passed two unanimous resolution, one in National Assembly and one in Senate, pledging to take measures to trace all missing persons and stop further incidents of enforced disappearance.

Death Threats

She is continually under death threat via mail and phone from unknown persons. She informed the Supreme Court of the same consequently Court ordered the government to provide her with security.

Foreign Visits

In 2008 she was invited by Amnesty International for a visit to Europe and USA. She addressed various conferences in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Lausanne, Lucerne, Bern, Geneva, Zurich, Berlin, Hannover, Oslo, Stockholm. She also met with the high government official of many countries during her visit.

US Visa Cancellation

In 2008 her US visa was cancelled two hours before she was to fly for USA. US embassy never disclosed the reasons behind the refusal.

Her Role in Media

She act as the sole spokesperson of DHR Pakistan and continuously presents the missing person issue in Pakistan’s as well as international media.

Her Role as chairperson DHR

Her activities as chairperson of Defence of Human Rights involves coordination with all the offices in Government circles like, PMs secretariat, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice and HR, Supreme Court, Foreign office, FIA, NAB, City Administration, Army, provincial and tribal governments etc. She organises campaigns and manage all the activities of DHR. Her work also include coordination with international human right organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Cageprisoners etc.

Her role in Supreme Court

In Nov 2006 she filed her 1st independent petition in Supreme Court for 16 missing persons. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry allowed her to plead for the other missing persons as an advocate. Since then she is continually appearing in the cases of missing persons in the Supreme Court. Presently she alone is representing more than 700 cases of enforced disappearance.

Her role in commission of inquiry

Like Supreme Court she also prepares and submit cases to Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance. She also appear in Commission of Inquiry on behalf of complainants.

Foreign Prisoners

Her engagement with forced disappeared and secretly detained persons led her to realize the difficulties faced by persons who are detained in foreign lands. In 2010 she managed to repatriate 22 Pakistanis from Thailand who had been facing life imprisonments for minor crimes under royal laws of the country. Her present projects involves repatriation of 52 foreign prisoners detained in Pakistani jails to their respective countries and repatriation of more than 300 Pakistanis who are detained in China.

Notes

External links

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