Rana Basharat Ali Khan.

If one took all that is put on Linkedin at face value, there are some pretty amazing people out there, given the achievements that people often put against their name.

A case in point would be Rana Basharat Ali Khan who is, according to his own words, a “distinguished UN representative for human rights”. In terms of laudatory self description, this is not a man who holds back. All across the internet there are pages and pages of self-penned accounts of his own wonderfulness (“a brilliant background as a political activist and as a social activist”, “a renowned social, political, Mentor, Article Writer, businessman”, “the voice of humanity” etc etc), all accompanied by pictures of our hero sitting at impressive desks and wandering imperiously amongst crowds, looking noble and important as he imparts his wisdom to the masses.

Behind this apparent nobility however, there lies an individual who comes across very differently in private and who appears to be more skilled at screwing over his workers than participating in high-minded matters of state.

In August a content producer shot a video for Khan and then submitted his invoice for payment. Happy to take the work, this erstwhile champion of human rights was not so happy to then pay what he owed, proceeding to come up with a range of different excuses why the funds were suddenly not available to settle his debts.

Over the ensuing months, excuses turned to lies (claiming that the work was never intended to be paid) before his responses became laced with abuse:

and then adding menace to the mix:

This charming pillar of the community is now refusing to respond to enquiries, nor pay what he owes, happy to hope that the whole nasty business of paying your debts can be left to lesser people, so occupied is he in international matters of state.

If anyone should encounter this saintly fellow as he wanders around the world doing good works, do feel free to ask him why he is stiffing freelancers in this way and how that might fit with his work “doing something great for others wherever anyone in a need he would be there”.

Rana Basharat Ali Khan: Freelancers Beware!

**UPDATE** Khan’s self-described list of achievements includes being honoured with the “National Benazir Bhutto Human Rights Award 2009”. Interestingly the only evidence of him receiving such an award comes from his own writings about himself. When asked for more information, Khan was notably silent, unable to produce any independent evidence of its existence (surprising given how much he likes to talk about himself in his online scribblings).