Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (Awam) and Anti-Torture Alliance (ATA) have emphasised the government for passing and vigorously enforcing legislation against torture by police and law enforcement agencies, and held all the elements responsible for law and order accountable for picking up or torturing people on the basis of suspicion or investigation or in the name of national security.
These demands were made by the participants of the focus group discussion on the theme 'Ending Torture and Ill-Treatment' in connection with international day in support of torture victims. The discussion was arranged under the umbrella of Awam and ATA, and joined by 13 participants including students, political workers and representatives of civil society organisations. The prominent figures namely Naseem Anthony, Shazia George, Nazia Sardar, Arif Ayaz, Asif Hoat and Shafique Sharif were also present in the event.
The participants expressed their grave concerns over the menace of torture, and the increase of incidences of torture in custody; extra judicial killings, forced disappearances, as well as other incidents of human rights violations, which reflects complete breakdown of rule of law in the presence of an independent judiciary and the parliament.
"Pakistan has ratified the UN Convention against torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) in June 2010, however legislators are least interested in making the law against torture. Despite prohibition of torture in the Constitution of Pakistan and all international human rights instruments, police and other law enforcement agencies are running detention and torture cells in almost every city in the country," they lamented.
They added, "Forced disappearances, illegal detention, torture, extra-judicial and in-custody killings is rampant in the country, particularly in Balochistan. Hundreds of journalists, writers, HR defenders, students and political activists have been killed extra judicially in the province. Over 1000 cases are reported of severe torture in police custody during the year 2011. Sexual violence is reported by up to 70 per cent of women in police custody, along with the violation of their basic human rights."
At this juncture, the participants passed a resolution demanding that the government must ratify the optional protocol and respect all obligations of UN Convention against Torture. The government must take immediate steps to stop the large scale of abduction, lawlessness and disappearances and release of all those forcibly disappeared and every perpetrator be brought to justice.
The Punjab govt must improve the condition of human rights standards at police stations, lock ups, jails and appoint female SHOs while setting up 100 model police stations in different parts of the province. Torture in custody is a serious problem affecting the rule of law, used as the most common means to obtain confessional statements in Pakistan.
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