Asma Jahangir gets VIP security after revelation of assassination plot

Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): The Pakistan interior ministry has started providing security to Asma Jahangir, after an alleged plot to assassinate the rights activist was uncovered last month.

The request for providing her with security had been made by the foreign ministry, most likely originating in the United Nations , reports The Express Tribune.

Jahangir, who is also former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, confirmed that the government has provided her with security. However, she added that she wasn't allowed to share details because of the threats to her life.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that after receiving the letter from the Foreign Office, the interior ministry immediately deployed security personnel outside Jahangir's residence in Lahore. The official said VIP security is also available to Jahangir now so that she could travel safely.

Jahangir had earlier stated that she had discovered through a "security leak" brought to her attention by a "highly credible" source that an assassination attempt was being planned against her from "the highest levels of the security establishment."

Jahangir is known for her struggle against military dictatorships and her vocal stance on human rights issues. Recently, the UN's top human rights body appointed three independent experts, including Jahangir, to conduct a fact-finding mission on how Israel's West Bank settlements affect the Palestinians. Jahangir also represents former ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani before the Supreme Court in the Memogate scandal. (ANI)