October 06, 2008	Monday	Shawwal 06, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 5: Federal Law Minister Farooq H. Naek has termed the missile attacks by US-led forces in Pakistan’s tribal areas a violation of human rights and the United Nations Charter.

“According to the international law no sovereign country can be attacked without the approval of the Security Council,” Mr Naek said at a news conference at the Directorate of Human Rights here on Sunday where cricketers Rameez Raja, Waseem Akram, Inzamamul Haq and Saeed Anwar were also present.

He denied reports that Indian death-row prisoner Sarbajit Singh was being released and said he would go through the case, prepare a report and forward it to President Asif Ali Zardari who had the power to pardon him.

“I will hold a meeting with Sarbajit Singh, review his case on humanitarian grounds and not from the point of view of law. We have taken the initiative in line with President Zardari’s policy of reconciliation and negotiation and with the hope that Indian authorities will reciprocate by reconsidering on humanitarian grounds cases of Pakistani nationals languishing in their jails.

“I request my Indian counterpart to repatriate all the Pakistani prisoners. Let the Pakistani courts hold trial and let them complete jail terms in their own country if they are convicted. It is a matter of human rights and not law,” said Mr Naek.

He said the government would introduce jail reforms so that inmates could become responsible and useful citizens after their release. The help of provincial governments would be sought to introduce reforms in jail manual because the federal government believed in provincial autonomy, he added.

“Our jails are overcrowded and lack facilities, like clean drinking water and toilets. There should be call cells in jails so that prisoners could contact their families by phone or through video conferencing. There should be visitors’ rooms where prisoners could spend a day with their families. Psychologists should also be posted in jails. President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have issued instructions in this regard,” the minister said.

He parried questions regarding reinstatement of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and said 90 per cent of the deposed judges had been restored while Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was functioning as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.