ISLAMABAD, March 16: Pakistan has fifth largest stockpile (six million) of anti-personnel landmines in the world, says the Land Mine Monitor Report, 2005. The findings of the report, jointly worked out by the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (Spado) and Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme, were shared at a seminar on “Towards A Landmine Free World” on Thursday. The event was organized by Spado and Canadian High Commission at a local hotel.

However, the report stated that by December 2007, all old landmines in Pakistan would be modified and made detectable.

The government also stated that Pakistan Army Ordnance Corps “destroys unserviceable mines...whenever required”. Pakistan is yet to sign the Mine Ban Treaty, nevertheless, it has repeatedly acknowledged the negative human and socio-economic impact of land mines, and expressed support for the goal of the eventual elimination of anti-personnel mines.

In November 2003, Pakistan proposed that mine-laying prevention and clearance be included as an essential objective in conflict situations.

The last major mine-laying operation by the country took place between December 2001 and mid 2002 along the Indian border. However, in October 2004, Pakistan reported that 100 per cent of mines it laid on the eastern border with India had been lifted and “proofing of mined areas” was carried out by the army engineers.

Several armed groups in the country use landmines and Improvized Explosive Devices (IEDs) regularly, most notably in the province of Balochistan, Waziristan agency and elsewhere in Fata, where tensions between the local tribes run high, the report said.

Landmines and IEDs are also known to be used in family feuds, tribal clashes and sectarian violence, as well as against government troops and law-enforcement agencies, it said.

Pakistan has no formal civilian mine action programme and mine clearance is carried out only by engineers units of armed forces. Similarly, there are no specialized medical, surgical or first aid facilities for landmine casualties close to the mine- affected areas. And local hospitals are not adequately equipped to deal with landmine casualties.

In his key note speech on the occasion, Gen (retired) Maurice Baril, former chief of defence of Canada and special adviser for Mine Action, Spado, talked about repercussions of landmines.

In December 1997, the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Production, Stockpiling, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was framed in Ottawa. It was ratified by 122 states, and came into force 16 months later, he said.