June 21, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1428

LAHORE, June 20: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has condemned the killing of 22 people in an alleged attack on a seminary in North Waziristan and warned that such incidents will only help expand violence.

In a press statement here on Wednesday, HRCP secretary-general Syed Iqbal Haider said there were already indications merely 24 hours after the attack that feelings of hatred were rising in the area. “Such a trend is highly dangerous as it carries a potential threat to peace in an already sensitive area”, he added.

Mr Haider said the failure of the authorities concerned to provide an accurate account of the attack and loss of lives of innocent people had added to the gravity of the situation as the atmosphere in the area was already charged to a degree that further occurrence of militancy could not be ruled out. “The HRCP has always opposed violence in all its forms, and this particular incident may further deteriorate the situation”, he added.

He deplored the attitude of the government which, he said, was trying to conceal facts of the attack. Referring to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) that the loss of life was the result of an explosion taking place in the seminary, he said such a claim was hard to believe in view of the eye-witness account which points to the involvement of a United States drone in the tragic incident.

He said that the ISPR had made similar claims after attacks in Bajaur, Balochistan and other parts of the tribal areas.

Iqbal Haider said that official attempts of striking dubious deals with militants or annihilating them by force had failed in the past and stood no chance in Waziristan or any other troubled spot in the country in future.

Attacks conducted in secrecy would only lend support to the militant cause by arousing the feelings of outrage among citizens who were being kept in dark in the so-called war on terror, he added.

The HRCP office-bearer said militancy had taken deep roots in Pakistan and was growing because of short-sighted and ill-conceived policies of the rulers. The trend, he said, was also finding support from thoughtless statements by government officials like the one recently issued by federal religious affairs minister.

He said the militancy would grow if the problem was not addressed by taking holistic and wide-ranging measures like helping people meet their socio-economic needs and inculcating a level of tolerance among them.