October 27, 2003	Monday	Sha’aban 30, 1424

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QUETTA, Oct 26: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at the continued political impasse and growing militarization of the policy-making institutions, besides emphasizing that the apprehensions of the people of Balochistan regarding the Gwadar port master plan should have been addressed.

Presided over Tahir Mohammad Khan, the two-day HRCP council, released at a press conference here on Sunday two resolutions passed by it. One related to the national issues and the other to the Balochistan affairs.

Those present on the occasion included chairperson Tahir Khan, HRCP director I.A. Rehman, Asma Jahangir, Afrasiab Khattak, Hina Jilani, Malik Zahoor Ahmed Shahwani and others.

The resolutions demanded an earliest possible restoration of the democratic, responsible and transparent governance in the country.

The council expressed concern over the domination of civil society by the military which was increasing by the day. It especially criticized the role of the Frontier Constabulary and the Rangers for policing various parts of the country and taking water delivery services in Karachi and occupation of educational institutions.

Referring to a recent incident in Lahore regarding violation of law by an army official and getting protection at the “highest level”, the resolution said: “These are all proof of the manner in which civil society is being overwhelmed and made subservient to the military,” and stressed the need for ending the “wholesale militarization of administration and public life”.

The council called for repeal of the Hudood laws without further delay. Thousands of women remained in jail under these laws, it said, adding that the retrogressive forces appeared to have been able to hold back the government despite overwhelming evidence of injustices as a result of the Hudood laws. “Qisas and Diyat laws must be set aside.”

The HRCP council criticized the state agencies for illegal detention and harassment of the people that “pose a serious threat to the safety of citizens,” and one of the alarming cases that highlighted this threat was the detention of Rashid Azam, a journalist and activist in Khuzdar for the last two months, and demanded that “abuse of law must end.”

The renewed efforts to pass the Hisba bill and enforcement of segregation and a dress code for women, it said, was having a negative impact on the rights of women and minorities in the NWFP as the enforcement of Taliban-like restrictions was also having an adverse impact, besides evidence was available of its expansion to other areas, including university campuses in Punjab.

It was felt that political parties would guide people to take the country out of the present crisis but sadly most of these “remain caught up between retrogressive forces and the increasing assertive military and have been unable to perform this function” as this situation “can be remedied with the active efforts of all sectors in society”.

The credibility for pursuing the foreign policy by the government had further declined within and outside the country, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said, and maintained that secrecy and lack of transparency regarding policies on Afghanistan, Kashmir and other issues had negative perception about Pakistan for the growing tension in the region.

“The people must be taken into confidence about commitments made in the country’s name,” it further said. “Policies should be transparent and open.”

BALOCHISTAN: In the resolution about Balochistan affairs, the HRCP said it organized a fact-finding mission that visited Gwadar, Turbat, Khuzdar, Loralai and Quetta to ascertain factual position about the persistently expressed anxieties of the people of the province.

The complaints recorded by the interviewers about the continued denial of provincial autonomy, non-participation

of the people in the decision-making process both at federal and provincial levels besides resistance to the LFO were vigorously expressed, the council said.

The people were concerned about the Gwadar port project, saying the idea of Gwadar development was meaningless without an improvement in the quality in life of the local people, the HRCP council observed.

“The local community has apparently not been taken into confidence in the city’s master plan and is acutely unhappy at the authorities’ failure to address its apprehensions, especially those related to the displacement of the fisher folk and disruption of their economic life.”

The HRCP mission was of the view that obduracy in ignoring the genuine demands and grievances of the people would accentuate their alienation from state and sharpen tensions in society, besides widespread anxiety at the plans to establish new cantonments and military’s increasing involvement with all aspects.

“The intelligence agencies are regularly blamed for interferences with the administration and citizens’ rights to security and personal freedoms.”

The fact-finding mission members included Ms Hina Jilani, Syed Iqbal Haider, Kamran Arif, Rochi Ram, Peter Jacob, Joseph Francis, Asif Khan, Ms Uzma Noorani, Roland de Souza, Ms Shataj Qizalbash and Jam Saqi.