Pakistan arrests activist over accusations of terror financing

A Pakistani teacher, social worker and activist has been arrested in the northwestern city of Peshawar, after a court denied him bail on charges of terror financing and sedition.

Gulalai Ismail tweeted that her father, Muhammad Ismail, was taken into custody in a long-standing case that also charges her and her mother since 2019. That year, she fled to the US and sought asylum there to avoid harassment by Pakistani security agencies because of her investigations into alleged human rights abuses by soldiers.

An anti-terror court in Peshawar on Tuesday denied his bail. 

The same court on Wednesday granted the provincial counter-terrorism authorities permission to hold Muhammad Ismail for questioning for three days, Gulalai said. 

Her mother, meanwhile, was granted bail.

The Ismail family have denied the charges against them.

READ MORE: Pakistani Baloch community buries activist amid high security

Terror allegations

One of the allegations claims a donation to the daughter's children's charity, Aware Girls, was spent on cars that were used as suicide bombs. Aware Girls fights discrimination and abuse of girls and women.

The donation came from a group known as Asia Safe Abortion Partnership, which aims to assist young girls with safe abortions. It has an office in neighbouring India, Pakistan's arch-rival, but operates in a number of countries in Asia.

Gulalai Ismail has been a longtime advocate of women’s and girls’ rights, particularly in Pakistan’s conservative northwest.

Before fleeing Pakistan, she published a report about alleged abuses by Pakistani troops in the former tribal regions. 

The military denied the allegations at the time. However, criticism of the military or its intelligence agency can result in threats, intimidation, sedition charges and in some cases, being picked up without any warning.

READ MORE: Top Pakistan court frees militant convicted of beheading Daniel Pearl