No direct communication between Pakistan, world: FO

ISLAMABAD: There has been no direct communication at the official level between important world capitals and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the assassination of Sabeen Mahmud, director The Second Floor (T2F), even as the United States, the European Union and Canada had asked the government to fully investigate the murder, arrest the perpetrators and allow freedom of expression.
The embassies representing them in Islamabad have not taken up the matter further with the government here, at least not officially.In their individual statements, a demand was made that the “Sindh government will identify and bring to justice those behind her murder and this attack on free expression”, and that “All citizens of Pakistan must be guaranteed their constitutional right to freedom of expression and to engage in democratic debate freely and without fear”.
Sabeen Mahmud was assassinated last Friday by unidentified gunmen as she drove home after attending a seminar on the missing people of Balochistan at T2T.When the Foreign Office spokesperson was asked if there had been any contacts with foreign governments regarding Sabeen’s assassination, she replied, “No”.
Meanwhile, vigils honoring Sabeen and celebrating her work which allowed suppressed voices to be heard in public space are being held abroad and in Pakistan.Sabeen will be remembered across Pakistan on Wednesday (today) and protests will also be held in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to demand that the killers be nabbed and justice given to yet another activist whose life was cut short.
But those investigating this ghastly murder say there is no progress in the case so far especially now that there has been no match found for the casings of the bullets that pierced the young woman leading to speculations as to who could be these murderers.
Even the three days given to the Sindh government by acting President Senator Reza Rabbani to produce a report are also over and no such report has been made public.Army spokesman General Asim Bajwa has said that intelligence agencies will be investigating to assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice, saying Sabeen’s murder was “tragic and unfortunate”. Those who will gather to honor Sabeen have been asked to bring to the vigils and protests apples, posters of the Beatles, Steve Jobs, Farida Kholo, Farida Khanum, Faiz and Farid Ayaz, as these were what Sabeen loved dearly.Washington and London have already seen protests and vigils being held in the memory of an exceptionally brave and courageous Pakistani woman.