Urgent appeal: AHRC expresses concern over closure of Axact, Bol

Says authority’s delaying tactics left 8,000 workers jobless

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has expressed concern on the unemployment of 8,000 workers of Axact and Bol Media Group as a result of the government’s action against these companies.

The commission has also started an urgent appeal programme on its website under which emails will be sent to President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Registrar Supreme Court Tahir Shahbaz and Sindh High Court chief justice.

AHRC showed concern over what it called “continuous victimisation of Bol and its owner company through continuous media trial, unjustified arrests of employees, violation of human rights and rule of law.

The commission’s website reads: Seven long months have passed since the investigating agency has illegally occupied the Axact offices and freezed their bank accounts but FIA is using delaying tactics which has rendered thousands jobless and deprived them of their earnings. The company accounts have been frozen since 26 May, 2015 and the company management including its chairman Shoaib Sheikh and COO Waqas Atiq and young IT experts are enduring a C class facility in jail which is violation of the human rights.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2015.