'Human rights violations assume alarming proportions'

Human rights violations, especially against women, have assumed an alarming proportions and the government seems to be unconcerned or powerless to curb it. This was the concern voiced by Iqbal Haider, general secretary, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), while addressing a press conference at Karachi on Tuesday.
He informed the media persons that the conference was called to highlight the unprecedented cases of rapes, gang rapes, burning and tortures against the women. The Human Rights Commission had collected the data of these violations, which would be sent to the members of parliament. "They should know and seek some remedy to the outrage," he said.
Haider wondered why these crimes against women were going unchecked. "The criminals are doing it with impunity fearing no laws of the land. It is pathetic."
"The people are so dejected that suicide rates have increased in recent days," Haider informed the press.
According to the statistics compiled by the commission, the killing spree between June 2004 to December of the same year, resulted in the deaths of 532 men, 52 women and 17 children. The period encompassing January-June 2005 saw 450 men, 66 women and 21 children killed.
The number of rapes committed against women and minors at Karachi was 10 and four respectively. The same period saw 87 women and 51 minors raped in the interior of Sindh.
The number of rapes that took place during the period January 2005-June 2005 at Karachi was four against women and minors. While in the same period 58 women and 49 minors were raped in the interior of Sindh.
The deprivation among the masses has increased the suicide rate in Sindh. The total number of the persons, which included men, women and even minors, was 883. It shows adversely to the socio-economical condition in Sindh.
As many as 10 men and 15 minors were kidnapped during the period January-June 2005. Karo-kari during June 2004-June 05 was 250 women, 146 men and 42 minors.
NO-GO AREAS: Iqbal Haider complained about the no-go areas in Sindh interior, where feudal lords had established their rule and nobody was allowed there without their permission. He expressed his surprise as to how people would do convassing in such areas. This was also the gross violation of the democratic rights of the citizens.
He also informed the press that the news of pre-poll rigging had already been pouring in from the interior of Sindh. "It is the negation of the transparency claims by the government."
"The Election Commission has disallowed the use of political party symbols in the local body elections but ruling partners are defying the rule," he lamented.
He was asked about the proposed ban on the foreign students from the Madressahs, if it was not the violation of human rights to deprive someone from acquiring knowledge. He declined to give his opinion saying that he had to attend a HRCP meeting in Lahore in a few days and would be able to say on the matter after that.