AI condemns killing of innocent people: Wana operation
By Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, March 4: The Amnesty International has expressed concern over the killing of innocent tribal people and abuse of rights in hunt for Al Qaeda by the Pakistan security forces in the tribal areas
, and has asked the government to strictly follow human rights.
"Amnesty International acknowledges that the security of the people of Pakistan and the curbing of political violence are important duties of the state. But in this context basic civil and political rights of suspects and of people unconnected with such violence are all too often ignored.
"Measures to curb violent political acts must be placed strictly in a framework of human rights," the international human rights watchdog body said. A press statement issued here said in the hunt for members of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the border areas with Afghanistan, "Pakistani security forces have failed to provide adequate protection to people in the tribal areas who are unconnected with such political violence.
In recent weeks, arbitrary killings and arrests and deliberate house destruction have been reported from the area."
The organization pointed out: "On 28 February, personnel of the Frontier Constabulary stationed near Wana in South Waziristan Agency opened fire on a van approaching their post as they assumed that it contained 'terrorists'. Six Afghan refugees, including a child, and five Wazir tribesmen were killed on the spot and another two died of their injuries later."
It quoted an army spokesman having said that paramilitary forces fired in self-defence when shot at from the van and that civilians might have been hit in the crossfire.
The persons killed "may possibly be terrorists", he was further quoted as saying. Local people deny that there was an exchange of fire, the AI said, quoting the leader of the Khojelkhel sub-tribe as having said: "The army fired on civilians without provocation."
On the following day, President Pervez Musharraf ordered an inquiry but did not make any commitments that its results would be made public or that those attempting to hide the facts would be held to account.
The AI said the rights of those unconnected with political violence "are also violated when a whole tribe is collectively held responsible for allegedly sheltering 'terrorists' and punished.
In January, several houses were destroyed by the army to punish tribes who were suspected of hiding 'terrorists' and not cooperating with the army's search operation.
The human rights body pointed out: "On 24 February, army units in the tribal areas arrested at least 25 people, possibly including foreigners and foreign women, in a raid near Wana.
Their identities and nationalities were not revealed but Pakistani newspapers claimed that one of the detainees was Khalid al-Zawahiri who may be related to senior Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and that he and others may have been handed over to US custody.
Earlier President Musharraf had asked wanted 'terrorists' to surrender and promised that they would not be handed over to any other country."
Contrary to the statement of the president, the AI recalled, a spokesman of the foreign ministry said: "If someone has committed crimes against any other country and is caught in an anti-terror operation, our priority is to hand him over to his country of origin. If that country does not ask for repatriation, then the terrorist is handed over to any country putting forward evidence to us."
The Amnesty International said it "has repeatedly expressed its concerns that supposed 'terrorists' may be handed over to their countries of origin or to US custody in circumvention of Pakistan's extradition law and might be handed over to countries where they may be at risk of grave human rights violations."
The AI further said: "The Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan have a special constitutional status in Pakistan; they are governed by Political Agents under the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) of 1901 which also accepts the principle of collective responsibility and collective punishment.
"Attempts to reform the FCR came to a halt after the attacks on the USA on Sept 11, 2001. The Pakistan army entered the tribal areas for the first time two years ago when searches for Al Qaeda and Taliban began. Many members of the tribes resent this intervention; many attacks on army posts in the tribal areas have been reported."
