The Initiative for Peace and Freedom (IPF), a non-government organisation, expressed its concern over the increasing trend of torture in the country on the International Day against Violence and Torture. IPF called on the government to enact legislation ending “torture in custody”.
In a statement issued on Monday, the IPF claimed that incidence of torture and violence by state institutions, including the police, was on the rise. There have been many deaths due to torture in police custody in the past couple of years, the statement said, adding that proper inquiries had not been made in the deaths. The IPF said failure of the police departments to take action against officials who use violence resulted in matters going to courts where the accused are granted bails or the process to dispense timely justice is delayed.
The statement mentioned that President Asif Ali Zardari in 2010 had signed two international conventions, adding Pakistan to the list of countries which had ratified all international conventions related to good governance, sustainable development and human rights. IPF has demanded that effective laws on the prevention of torture be formulated and enforced by the state to ratify the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2012.
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