Ansar Burney born August 14, 1956 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan is a leading Pakistani human rights and civil rights activist. He is a graduate of Master's and Law from Karachi University and honorary recipient of a PhD. in Philosophy. In 1980, Ansar Burney began the "Ansar Burney Welfare Trust", "Prisoners Aid Society", and "Bureau of Missing and Kidnapped Persons" in Karachi. Ansar Burney is accredited as being the first man to introduce the concept of human rights in Pakistan nearly 30 years ago^[1]. He and his organisation (the Ansar Burney Trust) are also accredited for securing the release of around 700,000 innocent prisoners from countries all around the world.^[2] One such famous case includiung that of Mr Mohammad Akhtar who was released from jail after 40 years due to the rape of his mother^[3].

Due to his outstanding achievements in the field of human and civil rights, Ansar Burney was the first man to receive the Pakistani National Civil Award Sitara-i-Imtiaz in the field of human rights on 23 March 2002. And due to his two decade long international campaign to end child slavery in the Middle East in the form of child camel jockeys, Ansar Burney was declared an 'Anti-Human Trafficking Hero' in the 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US State Department.^[4]

On November 16, 2007, Ansar Burney was sworn in as Pakistan's caretaker Federal Minister for Human Rights. He will be the first man to head the newly established Human Rights ministry of Pakistan.

On March 27, 2008, he was elected for a term of three years as one of the 18 members of the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee and due to "his recognized experience in the field of human rights and acknowledged competence and impartiality, Burney received wide support from all regional groups of the Council"^[5].

In 2008 he was listed in a poll by the The Financial Daily as a favourite personality.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Associated Press of Pakistan - Profiles of Caretaker Federal Ministers
2. ^ Information of Pakistan - Federal Minister for Human Rights
3. ^ http://www.ansarburney.org/news/n6.html
4. ^ US State Department - Anti-Human Trafficking Hero Discusses Child Jockeys
5. ^ The News - Ansar Burney elected member of Human Rights body

[edit] External links

• Ansar Burney Trust
• Burney Legal Solicitors
• Ansar Burney: Pakistan’s Angel of God - by: Garrett Heaney
• Transcript of an interview with Ansar Burney on child camel jockey issue