LAHORE, Oct 18: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has taken exception to the Ghalib Market incident in a letter to the Punjab IGP, asking him to explain publicly the action taken against the police officials concerned.

It also asked the IGP to inform the public what action had been taken against the owner and driver of the car for their failure to comply with the law.

The police had stopped the car of Maj-Gen Sabahat Hussain at a picket in Gulberg due to its tinted glass.

In a press release issued on behalf of its secretary-general, Hina Gilani, here on Saturday, the HRCP said that reports of high-handedness of military personnel and their humiliation of civilian authority and common citizens were increasing. This had exposed the nature of governance in Pakistan and put to shame any claims that the regime “makes of progress towards democracy”.

It said it was apparent from such reports that the civil government had no will to establish its independence or safeguard the rule of law if it was violated by the military.

The HRCP said the government must also explain why military vehicles were exempted from a law that applied to others, and on what grounds was it presumed that military vehicles could not be used to undermine security measures.