Pak lawyers to honour Assange

Lahore: A Pakistani lawyers' body, on Thursday announced it would present a human rights award to Julian Assange, the founder of whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks whose release of secret US diplomatic cables have created a storm in the country.

Judicial Activism Penal chairman Muhammad Azhar Saddique told that the group had passed a resolution demanding that the United Nations should intervene to secure the release of Assange, who has been arrested in Britain for alleged sex offences.

The group also announced it would give a human rights award to Assange. "We will invite Assange and his team to Pakistan," Saddique said.

The group said Assange's arrest was against the UN Convention and a violation of fundamental human rights.