Shahida Jabeen

A life of struggle

 

This is the political record of the leading female trade unionist the British government is refusing a visa:

 

Sahida Jabeen is the international secretary of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, established in January 1995 by leading trade unionists in Pakistan and sponsored by trade unions and labour movement organisations in more than 15 different countries in the 5 continents

Shadida Jabeen has been politically active in the PPP since 1972 when she became the party secretary in Lahore.

She was arrested in 1978 for demonstrating against the Zia dictatorship and sentenced by a military court to 12 months imprisonment. She was incarcerated, along with her five month old daughter at the Rawalpindi prison. She was rearrested in 1982 and beaten and tortured in the Fortress of Lahore.

She spent 8 months in solitary confinement and went on hunger strike. After that she was transferred to goals at Kotlakhpat, where she remained until 1984.

Her brother was also held in the Fortress on charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to death and hanged on 6th August 1984. From 1985 to 1988, she was repeatedly arrested and held for short periods. She is now the National Secretary of the PPP Women’s Organisation.