LAHORE, Aug 19: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern at the death of MMA activist Qari Noor Mohammad due to torture at Kotwali police station in Faisalabad.

A press release issued on Thursday said the HRCP had already expressed alarm over the lack of transparency and failure to follow the rule of law in ongoing actions against so-called militants.

"It remains unclear why Qari Noor Muhammad, a worker of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami), was taken into custody a few days ago on what charges. This is not the first incident of maltreatment in custody. Families of other suspected militants have also complained of the failure to produce detained persons in court or to even inform relatives as to where they are being held.

"While the need to eradicate militancy is immense, the present crude manner of dealing with the problem can bring only negative results, particularly in an environment where people's rights are already under huge strain.

The failure to inform the public against whom the operations in various parts of the country are directed to, or what they are intended to achieve, can only cast doubts and suspicions over the entire campaign, and contribute to the expanding public sentiment against the anti-militancy drive.

"Any effort to deal with terrorism must include holistic policies, which address the root causes of militancy. These include unemployment, poverty and the education imparted at the growing number of seminaries.

Tackling these issues presents bigger challenges than merely picking up, detaining and torturing those who authorities claim are militants. But these challenges must be met if the violence now deeply embedded in society is to be rooted out."