January
1, 2004
The
most pressing human rights concerns in Pakistan
include harassment and intimidation of the media;
a rise in sectarian
violence; legal discrimination against and mistreatment
of women and religious minorities;
torture and mistreatment of political opponents; and
lack of due process in the conduct of the "war
on terror" in collaboration with the United
States.
Freedom
of Expression
The
rights to free expression and dissemination of information
are persistently undermined through the arrest of
editors and reporters from local and regional newspapers
on charges of sedition. Pakistan's crackdown on press
freedoms, at first limited to local journalists, appears
to be expanding to the mainstream national and international
media. The Pakistani
government is using increasingly aggressive tactics
to silence journalists viewed as critical of the military
authorities. Read
more.......
Legal
Discrimination Against and Mistreatment of Women
Under Pakistan's existing Hudood
Ordinance, a woman who has been raped can ask
for state criminal prosecution only if she can produce
four Muslim
men to testify that they witnessed the assault. If
a woman cannot prove her rape allegation she runs
a very high risk of being charged with fornication
or adultery, the criminal penalty for which is either
a long prison sentence and public whipping, or, though
rare, death by stoning. The testimony of women carries
half the weight of a man's testimony under this ordinance.
The government has yet to repeal or reform the Hudood
Ordinance, despite the government-run National Commission
for Status of Women calling for its repeal on the
ground that it "makes a mockery of Islamic justice"
and is "not based on Islamic injunctions."
Informed estimates suggest that over 210,000 cases
under the Hudood laws are under process in Pakistan's
legal system.
Sectarian
violence
Sectarian violence has increased significantly in
Pakistan. In particular, Sunni extremists, often with
connections to militant organizations such as Sipah-e
Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), have targeted Muslims of the
Shi'a sect.
Read
more....
Discrimination
Against Religious Minorities
Discrimination and persecution on grounds of religion
continue and an increasing number of blasphemy cases
continue to be registered. The Ahmadi religious community
in particular has been the target of religious extremists.Read
more
"War
on Terror"
The conduct of the "war on terror" in Pakistan
has led to serious violations of internationally and
domestically recognized standards of due process.
Suspects arrested and held on terrorism charges frequently
are detained without charge and subject to trials
without proper judicial process. Read
more.....
Torture and Arbitrary Arrests of Dissidents
and Political Opponents
Torture is used in Pakistan by military agencies primarily
to "punish" politicians, political activists,
and journalists who challenge the government's actions.
Torture by the military usually takes place after
the victim has been abducted; the purpose is to frighten
victims into changing their political stance or loyalties
or at the very least to cease criticizing the military
authorities
read more
Key
International Actors
Pakistan remains heavily dependent on the United States
for economic and military aid. The U.S. has notably
failed to press for human rights-related legal reform
in the country, in exchange for Pakistan's support
in the U.S.-led "war on terror." For its
part, the government of Pakistan has excused its failure
to uphold human rights and the rule of law by citing
domestic political pressure from hard-line religious
groups and militant organizations
Read more....
