PESHAWAR, June 14: A group of lawyers have formed ‘Pakistan Human Rights Movement’ (PHRM) to start struggle for recovery of missing persons and raise voice against drone attacks and violence against women and children.

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, advocate Mian Mohibullah Kakakhel said that incidents of human rights violations had increased in Pakistan and people were unable even to meet their relatives.

“Our rulers are acting on directions of their foreign masters and playing with lives of our own people, imprisoning them and also handing them over to the US,” he said and added that in the prevailing situation the people needed legal protection and his organisation would support them.

Flanked by other lawyers, Mr Kakakhel said that keeping in view cases pending in different courts for years, private courts would be established in the country to ensure provision of easy justice to citizens.

“By establishing private courts the PHRM plans to launch an ‘alternate dispute solutions system’ to provide speedy justice to the victims of drone attacks, missing persons etc,” the lawyer said.

He said that they would also make efforts to help people get justice in cases of violence against women and children and bonded labour. He said that hundreds of people had been missing and many more were facing terrorism cases for no fault of theirs and in such a situation his organisation would raise voice for their rights. He said that minor disputes between couples would be resolved through reconciliation by involving local elders. Mr Kakakhel said that private courts would be set up after consultation with religious scholars, retired judges and leaders of civil society to provide help to public in their pending cases in session courts, high courts and even in the Supreme Court.

“We will raise voice in the International Court of Justice for the innocent people detained in Guantanamo bay prison and being brutally tortured in the name of so-called war on terror,” he said. Answering a question, he said that confinement of Dr Shakeel Afridi was not in accordance with the constitution of Pakistan.—Bureau Report