Human Rights Watch (HRW) Executive Director Ken Roth has said that all judges illegally removed on November 3, 2007 including deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry should be restored immediately. Musharraf is an illegal president and must be held accountable for human rights violations during his military rule.
He put forward these demands in a press conference here on Wednesday. He said that Musharraf should not create hurdles and let the Pakistan move towards a country where rule of law should be practised and human rights are respected. He said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani also told him in a meeting that the judges would be restored as early as possible.
Ken Roth said that he also met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday in which he requested him to support the move of abolishing the death penalty in Pakistan suspension of its application by signing the UN moratorium on the application of the death penalty. He said that as a first step, Pakistan should drastically reduce the number of offences for which the death penalty is applicable.
About the principal aim of any judicial reform, he said any constitutional package or amendment should be to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and any reform should not be made to indemnify the illegal acts of President Musharraf. While answering a question, Ken Roth said that accountable government can solve the issues of people properly and it is only possible in the presence of independent judiciary.
He also demanded that Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and other Pakistan's intelligence and law-enforcement agencies must immediately produce all individuals, which are in their custody. He said that Pakistan should sign the United Nations Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
About the question of on-going operation in tribal areas, he said that all counter-terrorism operations, whether in cities or the tribal areas should be conducted in conformity with international human rights standards and safeguards.
He also said that all military personnel and civilian functionaries of the state, whether serving or retired, should be held accountable for human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by them during the period of military rule. Pakistan should play a positive, human-rights-friendly role at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Ken Roth also appreciated the role of Pakistan's civil society, lawyers and journalists against the illegal act of President Musharraf by imposing emergency in the country.
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