From ASSAD HAMEED
ISLAMABAD - Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has observed that militarisation of all spheres of society has increased in the last 10 months while the working of government has increasingly become secretive, detaching the masses from the process of decision-making.
Issuing a report on "State of Human Rights in 2005" on Saturday, the commission complained about "cases of disappearance" as a new form of criminal assault on citizen’s rights.
The HRCP has also denounced Musharraf regime for military operation in Balochistan, which, it insists, is still going on.
It also criticized the government for wrong handling of Dr Shazia case, putting rape victim Mukhtaran Mai on ECL, use of Anti-Terrorism Laws against political leaders and activists opposing government policies and denying the access to activists, political workers and journalists when they tried to reach the areas where military was operating.
Launching the report, which encompassed the events that took place from November 2004 to August 2005, HRCP Director IA Rehman criticized the top judiciary by saying, "It has been ridiculous from sublime by taking up petty matters like kite-flying and wedding feasts when there was a gross violation of human rights going on everywhere."
HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehangir and Secretary General Iqbal Haider were also present on the occasion.
In the 319-page report, the commission detailed the affairs and events that took place in the fields of law, judiciary, law and order, jails and prisoners, freedom of movement, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, women, child labour, education, health, housing, environment, and refugees.
The report said that legislation during last 10 months emphasized measures the state apparatus considered necessary for more effective governance or to further its own interest while public welfare remained low on the priority list.
On the role of judiciary, it pointed out that Lahore High Court acquitted five of the six accused who had been awarded death sentence in Mukhtaran Mai case. Activists of the political parties continued to be accused under Anti-Terrorism Law, it stated.
About the law and order situation, the report said: "The state agencies’ alleged involvement in cases of disappearance focussed attention on a new form of criminal assault on citizen’s rights to liberty and due protection of law."
Growing discontent in Balochistan, caused not only by political and economic but also cultural reasons aggravated the state of lawlessness and disorder in the province.
"The military campaign to flush out "terrorists" resulted in serious cases of denial of South Waziristan people’s basic rights.
The Northern Areas remained in grip of sectarian riots for long spells while there was a little change in the factors that contribute to a high rate of crime against women and children, the report said.
Addressing the issue of jails and prisoners, the HRCP stated that riots at several jails, most notably the periodic unrest at Sukkur Jail, highlighted problems at prisons and the criminal activities that often continued behind bars. Children continued to be detained despite the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) 2000 and at least two were facing death penalty, it added.
More people than ever before went "missing" across the country besides more than 86,000 compressed behind bars against a capacity of only 36,825 in the 81 jails across Pakistan, the report maintained.
Torture was endemic with many deaths caused by brutality apparently passed off as suicides, it charged.
On freedom of movement, the HRCP observed that name of gangrape victim Mukhtaran Mai was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent her from travelling abroad.
Restriction on free movement was used to curb political assembly and activists, political workers and journalists were prevented from travelling to various parts of the country where military operations continued.
It has also claimed to receive complaints that Bengali and Behari-speaking citizens were being denied passports and identity cards, on basis of their language.
About the freedom of conscience and religion, the report said attacks on non-Muslim citizens across the country increased while over one hundred people died in sectarian violence across the country, including unrest that gripped Gilgit and Skardu for months.
On the issue of freedom of expression, the HRCP report said that declarations of at least three newspapers were cancelled besides a growing number of complaints from journalists regarding intimidation and an attempt to influence what they wrote.
"Media professionals also faced violence from state agencies and arrests under restrictive press laws," it charged.
On the issue of freedom of assembly, the commission believed the right to assembly was curbed more brutally than ever before, with police bludgeoning political activists, journalists, rights activists and other citizens who attempted to stage gatherings.
In contrast to the situation, assembly by religious groups was frequently permitted, the HRCP stated.
"Members of government attacked NGOs and NGO leaders in offensive language throughout the year and accused them of working against what rulers defined as the national interest," the report stated on subject of freedom of association.
"Militants posed a growing threat to NGOs with a woman activist and her daughter shot dead in Dir (NWFP)," it regretted.
Coming down hard on the government while addressing the issue of political participation, the HRCP alleged blatant manipulation of local government polls underscored the continued determination to deny people their most democratic rights.
"Anti-Terrorism Laws were used against political leaders and activists opposing government policies, as a means of intimidation. An increased number of members of opposition parties were lured over to pro-government groups," the report said.
About the situation of women in country, it said there was no change in the official statistics that showed an average of one thousand women died each year in "honour" killings.
Stories of grotesque abuse of women, including Dr Shazia and Sonia Naz, shocked people across the world while the culprits in many cases were not penalized, the report said.
As many as 366 women in the country, suffered gangrape or rape between November 2004 and August 2005, it said. It was also noted that far fewer women were registered as voter than men were while many in Northern Areas continued to be denied their right to balloting by traditional elements.
About the affairs of children, the HRCP report said some 10 million children were estimated to form a part of the labour force, while at least 70,000 remained on streets across the country.
During the first six months of 2005, the report said, 71 children were murdered after being sexually abused.
Reminding about the dreadful killing of nine minor girls that fell victim to a serial rapist in Gujranwala, the HRCP castigated that physical abuse of children remained widespread who are already facing malnutrition, illness and death.
The HRCP also pointed out that over 1.7 million Haris remained in bondage across Sindh alone while bonded labour also increased in other sectors.
There was an increase in reported cases of bonded laborers selling organs in desperate attempt to pay off debts.
The HRCP also regretted that only 39 per cent of women in country were literate while 50 per cent of school-age children in Sindh were reported to be outside classrooms.
The HRCP also criticized Punjab Government’s New Murree project for threatening thousands of trees and posing grave threat to environment.
About her recent visit to Quetta and Dera Bugti, HRCP Chairperson Asma Jehangir told media persons, foreign diplomats and rights activists that Dera Bugti had been turned into a "ghost town" as the armed conflict was still going on between Frontier Constabulary and nationalists in Balochistan. As a result of siege, she said, most of the population was dislocated while the remaining was passing life in miserable conditions. She also complained that her convoy was not only hindered on its way to the troubled areas of Balochistan but it also came under fire which Asma believed was an act of state apparatus.
She also came down on the government for denying her access to South and North Waziristan agencies.
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/feb-2006/5/index6.php |
