LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has slammed the killing of two lawyers in Daska in targeted police firing, and called for a thorough look at the police modus operandi to ensure that force is used to protect citizens rather than killing them.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the commission said: “HRCP is alarmed at the killing of two lawyers in Daska at the hands of police on Monday. According to media reports a group of lawyers protesting outside the Daska tehsil municipal administration (TMA) attacked some TMA staff, forcing the latter to call police for protection. Whatever the justification for police intervention, the use of lethal force did appear to be unwarranted and excessive.

“It is for the inquiry instituted by the government to determine whether the force used by the police was necessary and proportionate. However, this is not the first time that the coercive power of the state placed at the disposal of police in the province has been used to kill citizens. Trigger-happy has unfortunately become a regular prefix to the mention of the police by the media. The Daska killings call for a detailed look at why such killings occur and how they can be stopped. It is important that these are more than mere reflections within the police department. Not only must a cross section of society be consulted in this respect, the deliberations should include and address the concerns of the people and the outcome of the exercise should be shared with the public.

“Arrest of the police officer accused of the killings and registration of cases against the co-accused should lead to a prompt and transparent probe to determine responsibility for the killings and to punish the perpetrators.

“Another dismal aspect of Monday’s tragic events was the violent protests by lawyers in many cities. At one level, the citizens are entitled to ask why the government did not act more effectively to defuse the situation after the killing.

“HRCP also calls upon the lawyers’ community, which the world over is considered among the most conscious and respectful of the rule of law and due process, to be vigilant that the protests they lodge against the unfortunate killings in Daska or for any other cause remain peaceful and do not lead to damage to public or private property. Resort to violence would not only erode sympathy for them but also set the wrong example in a society already reeling under pervasive violence.”

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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