Sabeen Mahmud: Pakistani Human Rights Activist Killed in Karachi

Pakistani human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud has been killed in a drive-by shooting in Karachi after hosting a talk on allegations of torture in the province of Balochistan.

Sabeen Mahmud was shot dead as she drove home with her mother, who was also attacked.

She had been the subject of death threats before.

Tributes were paid to her on social media as soon as news of her death emerged.

Sabeen Mahmud was a director of the charity The Second Floor, also known as T2F.

T2F regularly holds seminars on human rights issues. It houses a cafe and book shop where Karachi’s liberal activists and students can meet.

The seminar on torture in Balochistan was held at T2F, having been cancelled by university authorities in Lahore, where it had been due to take place in the last few weeks.

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Taliban militants, Baloch separatists and other groups fight in Balochistan, which borders Iran.

Shortly after leaving the event, Sabeen Mahmud and her mother were shot.

According to Dawn newspaper, Sabeen Mahmud died on her way to hospital, and that she had been shot five times.

The newspaper reported that Sabeen Mahmud’s mother is in a critical condition in hospital.

No group has yet said it carried out the attack, though Sabeen Mahmud is believed to have been the subject of threats by the Pakistani Taliban in the past.

Sabeen Mahmud set up T2F having already established a charity, PeaceNiche, in Karachi.

She said she “maxed out seven credit cards” to keep the centre going.

Sabeen Mahmud also helped promote the importance of learning computer skills among Pakistani youth, and hosted hundreds of events at T2F.