WASHINGTON, March 4: The Musharraf government’s effort to curb religious extremism and its decision to end separate electorates are noted in the US State Department’s human rights report for the year 2001 released on Monday.

The report acknowledges that there were some improvements in a few areas of human rights, particularly with regard to protection of religious minorities from intimidation by extremists, but says serious problems remained and the government’s overall human rights record was poor.

The State Department is required by US law to submit a state of human rights report to Congress every year, and the report for 2001 has gained greater significance because it is the first after the Sept 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The report describes the attacks as a defining moment, and says global terrorism has brought the importance of universal human rights into sharper focus.

In its coverage of India, spread over 105 pages, the report documents significant human rights abuses and excessive use of force by security forces “combating active insurgencies” in Jammu and Kashmir and several north-eastern states.

The report’s 100-page section on Pakistan refers to steps initiated for a return to civilian rule, the holding of local body elections, and the government’s decision to permit political parties to participate in national polls, but adds that President Musharraf has announced on several occasions that he intends to remain in office after the elections are held. “The constitutional mechanism allowing Musharaff to do so remains unclear.”

Electoral reforms prepared during the year under review, the report says, included the elimination of the separate electorates system for religious minorities and the tripling of National Assembly seats reserved for women.

It refers to the Musharraf government’s denial of press reports that it had been decided not to pursue accountability cases against active members of the military or the judiciary, and points out that former naval chief Mansoorul Haq was charged with corruption. But it also says no serving members of the military or the judiciary have been charged by the National Accountability Bureau.

The report says the competitive nature of Pakistani politics helps to ensure press freedom, but the press has generally tended to avoid negative coverage of the armed forces and the office of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has held press coverage of military matters under close restraint. Nevertheless, the defence budget and changes in army personnel have been widely discussed in the press and calls published to extend the accountability process to include former military officers.

There have been fewer complaints of intimidation of journalists since the military coup, but human rights groups, journalists and opposition figures accused the government during the year of attempting to silence journalists and public figures. Following the Sept 11 attacks, the ministry of information had directed the media to avoid direct criticism of the US or of the government’s cooperation in combating terrorism. However, foreign journalists operating in Pakistan were permitted to broadcast freely.

The report characterizes last year’s local body elections as being generally free and fair, although the government was accused by some political parties of intervening in several mayoral races to ensure that pro-Musharraf candidates were elected.

As in previous years, the report outlines abuses under the various Zia-era laws that remain on Pakistan’s statute book. It quotes government officials as saying that about two-thirds of the total blasphemy cases brought to trial have affected Muslims.

The report also documents instances of violations of the rights of women and children and police excesses. It quotes the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan as noting that there were 169 extra-judicial killings during the year, a decrease from the 271 reported in 2000.