Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Annual Reports
    • Contact Information
    • History
    • Leadership
  • CCS Active Case Updates
  • Human Rights Resources
    • Human Rights Orgs
    • General HR Res
    • US Govt Agencies
  • Donations

Pakistani Academics Leaving Positions Due to Retribution for Criticizing Administration and Religious Philosophies

July 22, 2020

July 18, 2020

The Honorable Imran Khan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Office of the Prime Minister
Constitution Avenue, G-5/2
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel:+9251-9045265
Fax:+9251-9215519
Email: info@pmo.gov.pk

Your Excellency:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing to express our serious concern over a growing number of incidents of suppression of academic freedom in Lahore, Pakistan. For example, Dr. Ammar Ali Jan, a professor of political science with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, has been fired or resigned under pressure from three successive universities in Lahore in just four years for allegedly “fanning anti-state sentiments”. Most recently, in mid-June 2020, Dr. Jan resigned from Forman Christian College after being demoted from assistant professor to visiting professor following his participation in a student demonstration. He has also been charged with “sedition.”

Pervez Hoodbhoy, an internationally respected physicist at the same university, had his three-year term as “Distinguished Professor of Physics and Math” reduced to one-year, and has now been told his contract will not be renewed.

And Zaigham Abbas, a political science professor at Government College University in Lahore, where Dr. Ammar Ali Jan first began teaching in 2016, suddenly found that his contract had not been renewed in February of this year, when he reportedly discovered a colleague teaching his class.

These cases, and others, illustrate a disturbing crackdown on university professors who criticize the military or are perceived to be promoting secularism. The right to freedom of expression, for professors, for students, and for all, is essential for academic institutions to function successfully. Furthermore, your government, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), is obligated to respect and protect these basic rights, not suppress them.

We urge you to take all steps necessary to ensure that academic freedom, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression are thoroughly protected in Pakistan’s colleges and universities.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

Cc:
Sardar Usman Ahmed Khan Buzdar
Chief Minister, Punjab
Chief Minister’s Office
7 Club Road, GOR I
Lahore, Pakistan
Fax: 011 92 42 99204301

Dr. Shireen Mazari
Federal Minister for Human Rights
Ministry of Human Rights
State Life Building, No. 5, Blue Area
Jinnah Avenue
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92 51 9216620
E-mail: minister@mohr.gov.pk

Ali Jehangir Siddiqui
H.E. Ambassador
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
3517 International Court, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 243-6500
Fax: (202) 686-1534
Email: consularsection@embassyofpakistanusa.org
Contact Form: http://embassyofpakistanusa.org/contact-us/

 
Paul W. Jones
Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the United States of America
to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
U.S. Embassy Islamabad
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone: (+92) 051-201-4000
Fax: (+92) 51-2338071

The Honorable Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Filed Under: CCS Cases, Pakistan, Pakistan Tagged With: abbas, Ali, Ammar, Hoodbhoy, Jan, Pervez, professors, university, Zaigham

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Search Site

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
Additional Information
Angola
Annual Reports
Australia
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cameroon
CCS Board
CCS Cases
Chile
China
Colombia
Cuba
Egypt
Ethiopia
France
Germany
Good News
Greece
Highlights
History
Human Rights Resources
India
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Malaysia
Morocco
North America Issues
Pakistan
Pakistan
Palestinian Territories
Peru
Petitions
Poland
Press
Previous Highlights
Prominent Cases
Related Articles
Reports
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Spain
Sudan
Swaziland
Syria
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United Nations
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam

View Results in New Window...

Browse by Country

Archives

Join Us

Become a member of our humanitarian enterprise.

Sign up

Support CCS

Remember to register with AmazonSmiles as a donor to the Committee of Concerned Scientists. Then anytime you shop there CCS will receive a donation from Amazon. Since people spend a lot during this time of year it can benefit CCS greatly if you remember to do this. There is no additional cost to you.

FURTHER DIRECTIONS

Translate This Page

Click on the flags or use the menu below for a translation of this page.

[google-translator]

Press Enter to Search

Like us on Facebook

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 4525
Easton, PA 18043
Phone: (570) 994-2093
abender@concernedscientists.org

Copyright © 2023 • Concerned Sci Child Theme on Genesis Framework • WordPress • Log in