Arif Aajakia


Arif Aajakia is a Pakistani-French human rights activist, YouTuber and former politician. He served as mayor of Jamshed Town in Karachi, Pakistan from 2005 to 2006. He is in exile from Pakistan due to his human rights work in Pakistan administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Based in London, he is an outspoken critic of the alleged human rights violations of the Pakistan Army.

Early life

Aajakia was born on 21 May 1964 in Karachi. He is Mujahir and lived in Karachi until 1984. After 1990, Aajakia spent time in France and Belgium.
In the 1990s, Aajakia worked for the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation.

Political career and views

Aajakia was a politician in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan party. He served as deputy mayor of Jamshed Town from 2005 to 2006 and mayor from 2006 to 2007. He left for Europe before the completion of his term due to fears for his safety.
Aajakia is strongly critical of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan's legal framework. He repeatedly accuses the Pakistani army and Pakistan-based terrorist organisations of waging a proxy war against Afghanistan and India. In 2019, on the 11th anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Aajakia joined other human rights activists in Geneva, Switzerland, calling for an embargo of Pakistan and for Pakistan Army generals to be convicted for war crimes before the International Court of Justice.
In December 2019, Aajakia praised Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the passge of the Citizenship Amendment Act. At a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London in July 2020, Aajakia sang "Vande Mataram" for the first time, joining Indian activists calling for a boycott of China due to their expansionist policies.

YouTube channel

Aajakia started a YouTube channel in 2014 where he addresses current affairs and geopolitical issues in south Asia. He condemns alleged human rights violations by the Pakistani Army.He raises voice against fundamentalists and gave right information of history mostly of Indian subcontinent

Personal life

Aajakia is married to Sabeen Arif and lives in London.

External Links