KARACHI: Cases of disappearance make new records: HRCP
By S. Raza Hassan
KARACHI, Dec 6: The chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Asma Jahangir, has said that an unprecedented number of cases of “disappearance” has been reported from all over the country.
Deliberating on “Human rights situation in Pakistan” at the English Speaking Union of Pakistan here on Tuesday, the HRCP chairperson said that an unspecified number of students had disappeared from Balochistan and similarly a number of people had disappeared from Gilgit. She maintained that such a record number of cases had never been reported in the past.
Referring to the counter terrorism measures adopted by the government, Asma Jahangir asked that if anyone had collected data as to how many children and women had been killed in the North and South Waziristan in the so-called war against terrorism. “Of those killed how many were innocent?” she asked.
Recalling the case of alleged women suicide bombers as described by the government, she said that a habeas corpus petition had been filed on behalf of their father in Islamabad. The government authorities kept on claiming that they did not have any information about the two sisters allegedly portrayed as suicide bombers. “In such a situation, what one is supposed to do when the government is bent upon telling lie?” the chairperson asked.
She said that a number of cases of habeas corpus were being filed where the victim was in the custody of intelligence agencies. “I have worked during the reign of previous governments, but the courts were not scared in the past,” the HRCP chairperson pointed out.
Asma Jahangir said that under the present judicial system, the weaker a person was, the less chances of getting justice he had.
HRCP chairperson said that the present government did not have the figures as to how many women had been raped. The government functionaries had not maintained the proper data, even if they had.
According to her, a culture of impunity had developed during the present government, which could be seen from the composition of the present cabinet. “How many members of this cabinet have not been accused of corruption even by the present government,” she remarked and stated that still they were enjoying their positions with impunity. Referring to the developing culture of impunity, she said that hardly one or two nazim’s had been arrested on corruption, but none of them had been put on trial. Even those, who have been accused of running terrorist camps, constitute the cabinet, she said.
Referring to Mukhtran Mai case, HRCP chairperson said that the government had made it crystal clear that if she behaved she would get justice and if she did not behave there would be no justice for her.
She also referred to Dr Shazia case and said that the doctor was allegedly raped in Balochistan. The lady doctor was whisked away from Balochistan by the government and not by the NGO’s, she said. And a few days later, the President came on television to tell the nation that the prime accused in the rape case was innocent.
Sharing her initial work as human rights worker and understanding of the bounded labour issue, Asma Jahangir said that after initial setbacks, workers at brick industry had a huge union and became aware of what habeas corpus was.
HRCP chairperson concluded her address on the note that any general could not tell the people of Pakistan that he was wiser than all of us.
Earlier, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, President of English Speaking Union of Pakistan, presented a welcome address.
