Policy Research Group   - Strategic Insight: Human Rights  Scene In Pakistan

Human Rights  Scene In Pakistan
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editor on 07 October, 2009 12:42:00
 
On the occasion of Minorities Day, Amnesty International expressed concern at
the discrimination, harassment and attacks against all religious minorities,
including Ahmadis, Christians, Shiite, Sikhs and Hindus that were widespread in
Pakistan. It called on the government of President Asif Zardari to take
meaningful action to protect religious minorities which have increasingly been
the target of religiously-motivated attacks and persecution.
The rise in attacks against religious minorities has come along with rising
religious extremism in the country. The latest has been the Gorja attack, which
took place over allegations of blasphemy. The blasphemy laws have fostered a
climate of religiously motivated violence and persecution and exacerbated
attacks on religious minorities. Accusations of blasphemy have frequently
resulted in the murder  of both Ahmdis and members of religious minorities.
The blasphemy laws are vaguely formulated and arbitrarily enforced by the police
and judiciary in a manner that amounts to harassment and persecution of
religious minorities. In January 2009, five Ahmadis, including one minor, were
detained on spurious charges of blasphemy in the Layyah district, with no
evidence or witnesses to support the charges against them. Another Ahmadi, Rana
Ata-ul Karim (36) was killed on August 6, 2009 in Multan. He was murdered simply
for being an Ahmadi.
Evidence with human rights groups indicates that charges brought against
individuals under the blasphemy laws were founded solely on the individuals’
minority religious beliefs. The motivation often was to have people imprisoned
to gain advantage in business or land disputes.
Amnesty International has urged the Zardari government to amend or abolish these
controversial laws, particularly Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code which
carries a mandatory death penalty for anyone found guilty of blasphemy.
REPORT OF HRCP On SWAT: TALIBAN HOLDS SWAY
A fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a NGO,
 to Swat has documented accounts of extra-judicial killings by the security
forces, discovery of mass graves in the conflict-hit region, and the continued
suffering of the civilians.
A number of Swat residents have reported sighting mass graves in the area,
including at least one in Kookarai village in Babozai tehsil and another in an
area between Dewalai and Shah Dheri in Kabal tehsil. Witnesses who have seen
mass burials said that at least in some cases the bodies appeared to be of
Taliban militants.
.
The HRCP mission noted serious difficulties faced by the local people and
internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to Swat. “The IDPs have returned
to find a number of houses damaged in the military operation. Shops in most
areas are yet to reopen and the ones that are open have scarce supplies. The
local people demand that the government ensure the supply of essentials to the
returning IDPs including subsidised edibles for the families that cannot afford
to buy them on account of financial losses suffered during and prior to the
military operation. Restoration of the devastated infrastructure and provision
of safe drinking water must be given top priority to prevent the spread of
disease.”
While a massive security operation in Swat seems to have dented the Taliban
network in the area for now the threat of Taliban exists nevertheless.. The
beheading of a police official in Sangota, Mingora, on July 28 triggered fear
among the people, who had returned to their homes after being assured that the
militants had been flushed out.
The HRCP team reported that none of the national and provincial assembly members
or district or tehsil nazims had so far returned to the conflict-hit area. Their
absence itself is a reflection of the apprehension of lack of security in the
region.
ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS
In a statement issued on August 14, 2009, Press for Peace (PFP), NGO working for
the protection of human rights and civil liberties, criticized restrictions and
attacks on journalists in Pakistan and Pak administered Kashmir. It said that
restrictions were imposed on journalists by court officials to stop them from
the reporting proceeding of higher courts in 'Azad ( free) Kashmir' as the
Pakistan administered Kashmir is called in Pakistan.
The PFP demanded that all sanctions against media in 'AJK' should be lifted so
that journalists can perform their professional duties smoothly. It held that
orders from the local Supreme Court  barring pressmen from entering court
premises and directions to stop publication of news and reports about the higher
courts in 'AJK'  was a direct assault on the freedom of the press.
It said: “Media persons have a legal and constitutional right to report the
court proceeding for public information. Therefore, they could not be deprived
from their rights by such disgraceful orders.”
PFP also condemned the trail of three Kashmiri journalists on the charge of
contempt of court, and said that rather than initiating unnecessary cases
against media persons, judiciary must evolve a transparent and independent
mechanism of accountability of judges and officials.
It expressed solidarity with the journalists of Lahore who had been intimated
and physically abused by some lawyers during the last few weeks, saying
'lawyers’ community has always been claiming to be champion and guardian of
constitution and civil liberties. However, recent wave of chauvinism of lawyers
against media, police and other sections of the society is manifestation of an
alarming and shocking trend and it needs to be halted'.
The PFPcalled upon the Bar Associations and Bar councils to punish the
responsible lawyers for these attacks 'in order to preserve the grace of both
prestigious professions'.