Speakers troubled by rise of lawlessness

Seminar on torture highlights lack of oversight of agency investigations.

LAHORE:

To mark the International Day, held on June 26, in support of Victims of Torture, a seminar, Fight against Torture in Custody, was organised by the Initiative for Peace and Freedom (IPF) and the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on June 30. The seminar was held at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

IA Rehman spoke about the importance of respecting both national and international law and the rise of lawlessness across the country. He said that extra judicial killings are rising and no serious action is being taken against them. Rehman said a confession in front of the police had no legal value.

Hussain Naqi, journalist and activist, said that although Pakistan had signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture which had been ratified, it still violated the convention.

HRCP legal adviser Mahboob Ahmad Khan said that violence against women, children and minorities is also a dangerous trend and the weak are regularly exploited.

Rabea Bajwa said, “There is no legislation which looks at the manner in which intelligence agencies carry out their investigations. This gives the agencies a carte blanche. A strong political movement needs to be initiated to address the methods of obtaining information during an investigation.

Bajwa criticised the government for failing to provide basic human rights. She blamed the lawlessness in the country on the ruling class.

Shafiq Dogar, a Sargodha citizen, shared his experience of police torture against his family. He said, even after court orders, there had been no action.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2011.