Under hellfire

A shocking new report from the human rights watch body Amnesty International (AI) describes the horrors people in the northern conflict zone have lived with for months. The accounts offered up by the detailed document, “As if Hell Fell on Me” place a huge question mark on the accounts we have been hearing so far of the defeat of militants and celebrations by delighted people.

AI, after interviewing some 300 people, talks of horrendous violations of international law and the principles of morality by the armed forces, the militants and the laskhars formed with government support. It speaks of civilians being prevented from fleeing and being used as human shields by all parties engaged in the conflict.

The report also tells us that in contradiction to claims about the vanquishing of militants, around four million people in northern areas still live under the Taliban. If we look past the reports put out by the military and the government there is evidence of this. Despite tough restrictions on media access reports come in of the chopping off of hands of alleged thieves even though the man who brought the accusation against them in Orakzai granted forgiveness. No medical supervision was available as the act took place. Elsewhere alleged spies have been beheaded.

However, not all the news is entirely bad. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reported some improvements in Swat. But AI paints a hair-raising picture of the situation in the conflict zone. It appears obvious that a year after fighting broke out in earnest in northern areas the Taliban remain in control of vast portions of territory. Failure to acknowledge this adds to the complications we face in waging a war that has taken a terrible toll on the people caught up in it. There is time to tell the public some truths, to address the issues raised by AI and to develop a new strategy that can lead to success in the war without plunging people into such great danger.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2010.