Military's involvement in politics criticised

Parliamentarians from different opposition parties on Thursday warned against dangerous repercussions of military's involvement in politics, saying, "it could lead the country towards a disaster".
They also criticised the alleged practices of harassing politicians and torturing political parties' workers by intelligence agencies to achieve their vested interests.
They were taking part in a debate on 'torture in custody and signing of UN convention against torture' after a presentation by Hina Jilani, special representative of UN secretary-general on Human Rights Defenders.
The presentation was organised by Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), a project of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) here.
Dwelling upon reasons that led to the violent attitude in the society, Pukhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Senator Raza Muhammad Raza said that military often used torture as a tool to prolong its rule.
"This is the sole thing responsible for spreading violence in the society, which consequently results in the promotion of torture," he observed.
The Senator from Balochistan also mentioned the exploitation of smaller provinces by bigger ones as another reason for 'mounting' depression.
In the past, Raza blamed, the military had been engaged in imparting training to the personnel of Jihadi groups, which were now being portrayed as terrorists.
"And this is the thing that is now paying back in the form of violent attitude and promotion of torture in the entire country," Raza said.
To remove the sense of deprivation among smaller provinces and oppressed classes, he suggested vigorous struggle for the 'complete' restoration of 'true' democracy from all the segments of society.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar stressed the need for mobilising and educating masses to eradicate the culture of torture.
Like Raza, the PPPP Senator was also of the view that continuos spell of military regimes were responsible for the promotion of torture in the society.
"The military rulers, in past and now, have been promoting, thorough violent means, such groups, which don't have their roots in public. And this practice gives rise to torture," He said.
The PPPP Senator asked the government to sign the UN convention against torture without any delay. "In the sub-continent, almost all countries, including India and Bangladesh, are signatory to this convention. Why shouldn't we be?" he asked.
Balochistan National Party (BNP) Senator Sanaullah Bloch also held the military rulers responsible for promoting the culture of violence to achieve vested interests and prolong their rule.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MNA Assadullah Bhutto said that workers of political parties were victimised for either to oppose military involvement in politics or to resist policies of foreign countries.
He stressed the need for differentiating clearly between freedom struggle and terrorism so as the people raising voice for their rights could not be tortured and treated as criminal.
Earlier, in her presentation, Hina Jilani urged the government to sign the UN convention against torture in the greater interest of the country and nation.
She also stressed the need for taking steps to make sure the 'foolproof' implementation of laws to save women, children and people belonging to oppressed classes from becoming victims of torture.