Prominent human rights activist and founder of human rights NGO AWAZ Foundation Pakistan Centre for Development Services (AWAZ), Mohammad Zia-ul-Rehman, along with three other colleagues, has been arrested and charged with 'anti-national activities' in connection to a youth empowerment project AWAZ initiated along with other national and international CSOs. The project, called URRAN, seeks to increase and promote young people in governance and increase transparency and accountability in Pakistan. The aim of the project was to elect 1638 youth representatives in 126 union councils of Multan, South Punjab through shadow elections and to facilitate government and other stakeholders in imparting community services at union council levels i.e. birth and death registrations, school enrollments, community-led security services, community-led health and support services and establishment of complaint mechanisms at local levels to ensure rule of law, promotion of tolerance and social harmony at grassroots level . Almost 123,000 young people of all genders from the age of 15- 29 were registered as eligible voters and 13 members including 4 males, 4 females, one male and one female representative of minorities and one peasant or laborer were supposed to be elected through a participatory process on the 8th January 2015. Briefings of the project were given to almost every related district and provincial level department ahead of the elections. However, on the day of elections police raided two polling stations where they arrested AWAZ Field Officer Imran Zahoor and community volunteers Muhammad Mehmood and Kashif. Police had acted on a complaint from District Officer Arshad Husain, alleging that Mr Zia-ul-Rehman and other AWAZ staff were instigating people against the state by making fraudulent documents and conducting the shadow election of local government that could only be conducted by the Election Commission. On the 9th January police officials of Makhdoom Rasheed station lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Zia-ul-Rehman, Imran Zahoor, Muhammad Mehmood and Kashif under sections 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 13 of the Prevention of Anti-National Activities Act 1974. Mr. Zia-ul-Rehman was granted bail before arrest. However, on the 6th February he was arrested and put in detention awaiting further decisions on the case.