KARACHI, March 24: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has found spread of mob violence and lawlessness across the country a matter of immense concern. The HRCP council observed that violence had spiralled completely out of control of the government and was indeed threatening to plunge the country into a state of total anarchy.

HRCP received reports of extremist forces taking over several cities in NWFP and large areas in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). These groups has been competing for control over their areas, often using unlicensed FM radio stations to spread messages of hatred against each other. These verbal wars over the airwaves led to violence in Buner, Bara and Malakand among other places.

This situation of uncontrolled violence and complete breakdown of law and order machinery, had led to a growing number of displaced people, particularly in Balochistan, where at least 1,000 rocket attacks and bomb blasts have been reported over past seven months, causing loss of many lives. People also began to move away from other areas of fighting as in Waziristan.

The council said no one in government had paid heed to these internally displaced persons (IDPs), whose numbers ran into tens of thousands, or made any attempt to resolve acute problems they face.

It said the prevailing state of anarchy and threats of extremist forces had also led to ordinary citizens being silenced, subdued and coerced into submission. Their plight has been aggravated by threatening words from leaders.

Vulnerable groups, including religious minorities and human rights activists, are most adversely affected. In some places, persons who are known to be opposed to militancy have received terrifying letters with enclosed sums of money, informing them this is for their burial expenses. Some have subsequently been killed in targeted attacks, which obviously sends an unambiguous message to all those opposing extremist militancy.

The HRCP Council called upon people to realise their duty to save the country from plunging into an abyss of complete chaos, which would lead to a worsening of human rights situation for all citizens.

It urged the political forces to set aside differences among themselves and their obsession with power, sit together and discuss prevailing situation and evolve a joint strategy to resolve crisis before state of affairs worsens any further.—PPI