Hong Kong: IHRC expresses concerns over Pak's 'malicious' action against human rights activist

International Human Right Council of Hong Kong has expressed concern over "malicious and unlawful actions" of Pakistan against Human Right activist Abdul Baseer Naveed who has been rendered stateless after Islamabad deprived him of his passport, freedom of movement and right to adopt the nationality of his choice.

"The International Human Rights Council, Hong Kong (IHRC-HK) is extremely concerned about the malicious and unlawful actions of government of Pakistan against its Executive Director, Abdul Baseer Naveed who has become stateless--neither is he citizen of Pakistan nor of Hong Kong, where he has been residing since 2006," Hong Kong INHRC said in a statement.

"The Pakistani government has deprived him of his passport, freedom of movement and right to adopt the nationality of his choice," it added.

The IHRC has urged the United Nations Human Right Council and other International forums to intervene in the matters as it is a "violation of Baseer's right of freedom of movement and right to choose nationality".

Basser, who is the permanent resident of Hong Kong since 2013, has been vocal in raising the issues of forced conversion of religious minorities to Islam, torture, extrajudicial killings, police encounters, displacements, violence against women and honour killings in Pakistan.

In 2017, Baseer had applied for permanent citizenship in Hong Kong which was approved by the Department of Immigration of Hong Kong next year. He was asked to provide renunciation of his Pakistani nationality and passport.

He then duly applied for renunciation through Pakistan Consulate in Hong Kong upon which his renunciation was approved in May 2017 by Pakistan Ministry of Interior.

However, the IHRC said, some intelligence agencies of Pakistan and Consulate General of Pakistan, Hong Kong submitted adverse reports against him and the same department has cancelled his Renunciation on August 27, 2019, saying "Renunciation Certificate of Pakistan Citizenship cannot be issued as your credentials have not been verified/ recommended by concerned security agency."

IHRC has said that its executive director has been subjected to the overt and covert threats on multiple occasions by deep state actors who want to silence him.

The council has urged the Pakistan government to stop the "arbitrative actions" against the human rights defenders.