Asma Jahangi(r) - confirms spurious emails are false.

Many of us have been receiving a number of emails from individuals who have sought to profit from the Shazia Bashir Case. I myself have been sent emails that have purportedly been from the Federal Minister for Minorities Kamran Michael and from a leading Pakistani Muslim Human rights activist and Chairperson of HRCP (Human rights commission of Pakistan) Asma Jahangi(r) (note addition of r at the end of the surname - we will come back to this!).

These emails seem fraught with error and rather dubiously written, in their particular exaltation and support for a relatively unknown NGO. Some of these emails have initially emanated from an individual who has been a frequent commentator on our blog. We have now cut all ties, with this man and his associate.

I am aware of two individuals that have sent donations to the two fraudsters. The donaters have raised concern about how difficult it is to trace where the money has been spent much due to the failure of the miscreants, to provide promised evidence of the end product from the contribution. I would advise that our community stays vigilant against such abuse and hope that not too many have received the purported emails from Asma Jahangi(r) or Kamran Michael.

Romail from Pukaar News and I have talked for a while on this issue and Romail undertook an investigation into the situation. Here is the email received by Romail which also clarifies the correct spelling of Asma's surname:

Dear Pukaar News,

Thank you for calling me and sending me a copy of an email sent by Patras William, which is ofcourse totally false. I never met this man regarding Shazia case and have no contract with anyone. There are, unfortunately, people who use other people's names and by now it has undermined our own ability to effectively network. I am on no "Life for All" panel. In fact, never heard of them. I sent no applications to the PM etc. regarding threats to me and no lawyer has threatened me despite the fact that I have publically condemned the treatment meted out to Shazia in the press and in the electronic media.

As far as CLAAS is concerned we have no direct coordination with any of their legal services.

The telephone number given as my number is also incorrect. There appears to a competition amongst Christian activists (if by now we call them that) at every incident which is putting off. This is the reason that people like us keep our distance with them. I do not know of any threats and the email is totally concocted, as far as my association is concerned.

Much regards.

Asma Jahangi