Former Pakistani judge to discuss war on terror May 14 at BYU

Chaudry Ali, a judge in Pakistan for more than 25 years, will present a Global Awareness Lecture "War on Terror by Reluctant Fighters" Wednesday, May 14, at noon in Room 238 of the Herald R. Clark Building on the Brigham Young University campus.

In September 2006 he and his family were forced to flee Pakistan leaving their belongings and property behind. They were granted asylum in the United States in October 2007.

Ali is pursuing a degree at the S. J. Quinney Law School at the University of Utah.

In 1997 he was appointed by the government, on the basis of his past performance and integrity, as the judge over Anti-Narcotics and Suppression of Terrorist Activities. (The Anti-Narcotics Force of Pakistan is funded by the U.S. Government and works with the DEA.)

For the first time in the history of Pakistan he began to make capital punishment rulings against drug lords and terrorists.

Despite death threats from drug lords, terrorists and some government officials, Ali followed his conscience and dictates of the law, continuing to issue these rulings as the situation deteriorated.

This lecture will be archived online. For more information on Kennedy Center events, see the calendar online at http://kennedy.byu.edu.