Attached link is from a UK newspaper - The Guardian and the news article is from New York Post. If you don't recognize the guy getting shoved - that's our boy Aasim (Akhtar '94). The lady pulling him back and screaming is his wife Asha. He managed to somehow escape this arrest ( the word is that Asha would not take no for an answer.) Here's some more pix of the protest:
They are both in hiding right now. Not sure how many of you know this, but after college (when most of us found a nice job and comfortable living) he went back home to Pakistan to help his people. Aasim started PRM (Peoples' Rights Movement) organizing poor and homeless/landless farmers for basic human rights. Not the most popular guy with the government. The same governments that was leasing the land (for the majority of the crops) to these farmers, then sending the army to "clear" the lands when farmers made it too much of a home. Needless to say we are VERY PROUD of our boy and everything he is doing for the benefit of Pakistanis. He is now being prosecuted by a dictator. This is the last e-mail we got from Aasim:
boys
still alive. trying to keep low but they are manhunting a few of us who
are known to be very active.
any and all publicity is good. anything to put pressure on them.
much love, fingers crossed, aasim
At times like these in Pakistan, unknown/anonymous people tend to get arrested and disappear and Aasim's not the kinda person to keep his mouth shut for too long. We need to give Aasim and his people as much publicity as we can. We need to do it while the news is "fresh" and from all possible angles. CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS PLEASE ?!?!? This what we thought of so far and we welcome any other suggestions:
1. Pass this on to all UWC alumini and colleges.
2. Talk to and put pressure on anyone you know.
3. Please call anyone else that might be even remotely able to help - you never know, they might have a really good idea.
4. Any media people out there that we can engage - any publicity is good ???
5. Anything to do with official media, please just run it by us first to make sure we don't somehow cause Aasim more harm than good and to make sure information is accurate.
6. Let us know what else we can help with or provide.
7. Aasim does not want to leave the country, so that is not our objective.
8. Please don't all e-mail him now .. we'll send you all the news as we are getting them.
9. Please do anything you can .. help us out ..
THANK YOU !!!
Jason, Olivier, Diego, John and Jovan.
Print Page
Email to a Friend
RSS