Amina Masood Janjua
Amina Masood Janjua, (): born 28 April 1964, is a Pakistani human rights activist and artist. She is known for highlighting enforced disappearances in Pakistan and for campaigning for the release of her husband, Masood Ahmed Janjua, who disappeared on 30 July 2005. She is the chairperson of the rights group Defence of Human Rights Pakistan (DHR). She provides legal support to prisoners in foreign countries, arranging financial support for the families of victims of enforced disappearance and eradication of torture from jails and detention centers. She appears regularly on local and foreign media as the spokesperson of missing persons and occasionally contributes articles in Urdu and English dailies of the country. Early life Janjua was born to Shahida and Islam Akhtar Zubairi in Mardan, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Education She started her early education at Presentation Convent High School Risalpur (a town and air force base near Mardan) where she studied until tenth grade. After passing her matriculation, she joined Nisar Shaheed College in Risalpur. After two years of study in Nisar Shaheed College, she joined F.G College for Women, Rawalpindi from where she passed her BA exams with English literature, Persian, and Fine arts as majors. As described by her in an interview, she used to draw and paint on everything she could lay her hands on since early childhood. This talent of painting led her to Punjab University from where she graduated with a master's degree in Fine Arts, secured second position, and was awarded a silver medal. After receiving her master's degree, Pakistan's renowned painters Mansoor Rahi and Hajira Mansoor mentored and played a vital role in polishing her painting skills. Career in Arts As an artist, her favored medium is oil and acrylic paints. Most of her paintings reflect an inclination towards expressionism and romanticism. Portraits and life drawings are amongst her favorite genres to paint. Her work has been exhibited. Marital life She is married to Masood Ahmed Janjua who belongs to a military family. Her father in law, Lieutenant Colonel (R) Raja Ali Muhammad and two elder brothers-in-law have served in the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force. She has two sons and one daughter. Husband's disappearance Her husband, Masood Ahmed Janjua, who was a successful businessman and ran multiple businesses, left home to go to Peshawar on 30 July 2005 along with his friend Faisal Faraz. He never returned home nor reached his destination. Initially, his disappearance could not be accounted for, but later, certain evidence convinced her that he had been picked up by an intelligence agency of the country. It was further established through the statement of one Dr. Imran Munir, who remained in the custody of military, court martialled, and later released on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. In an official statement given to the government functionaries, Dr. Imran Munir testified that he had seen and met Masood Ahmed Janjua in a secret detention centre. Her response to Masood's disappearance Amina