Pakistani Activist Who Highlighted Army’s Atrocities On Women Escapes To US, Seeks Political Asylum

Pakistani women’s rights activist Gulalai Ismail, who was accused of treason by Islamabad, has escaped to United States, where she has applied for political asylum, reports ANI.

According to the report, Ismail has highlighted the incidents of sexual abuse of Pakistani women by the security forces of Pakistan, for which she was slapped with treason charges.

The 32-year-old activist managed to escape from Pakistan last month and is now staying with her sister in Brooklyn, as reported by New York Times.

“I didn’t fly out of any airport,” she was quoted as saying and added that she can’t say anything more than that since her “exit story” will put many lives at risk.

According to media reports, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had recommended to the Islamabad High Court to put Ismail’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) for her alleged anti-state activities abroad. The Court, however, ordered removal of her name from the ECL, but allowed the interior ministry to take appropriate action, including confiscation of her passport, in the light of recommendations made by ISI.

Ismail became a fugitive in May in her country, soon after she posted accusations on social media against Pakistani soldiers. In the month of January, in her posts on Facebook and Twitter, she had accused soldiers of raping and sexually abusing Pakistani women. She also took part in the ethnic Pashtun movement.