PM asks interior ministry to expedite tabling anti-torture bill in NA

Says torture is unacceptable in a civilised democratic society

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday asked the Ministry of Interior to expedite tabling the anti-torture bill in the National Assembly (NA).

The premier, in a tweet, observed that torture was unacceptable in a civilised democratic society.

"It goes against the spirit of Islam, our constitution and our international legal commitments," he wrote.

I have asked Interior Ministry to expedite tabling our anti torture bill in National Assembly. Torture is unacceptable in a civilised democratic society & goes against the spirit of Islam, our constitution & our international legal commitments.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 3, 2020

Earlier, on June 26, the Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari reaffirmed the state's commitment to protect citizens from torture and uphold their fundamental human rights.

In a statement issued to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the minister said, “We are actively working towards strengthening legislation to effectively criminalise the practice - that violates our constitution as well as our international commitments."

“We also recognise the pervasive issue of the culture of police abuse, and are cognizant of the need for comprehensive police reforms to put an end to torture and extrajudicial killings,” she said.

On the efforts made by her ministry in this regard, Mazari said that they have initiated several sensitisation and awareness sessions with the police on a range of human rights-related issues. These include, among others, respecting the rights of women, children and people who are transgender.