Rights violation: HRW urges Senate to reject PPO

The Human Rights Watch has said that the PPO is in violation of Pakistan’s international legal obligations.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that the PPO is in violation of Pakistan’s international legal obligations.

“Pakistan’s anti-terror laws shouldn’t be used to undermine fundamental rights,” said Asia Director at HRW Brad Adams said in a statement. “The Protection of Pakistan Ordinance as drafted runs roughshod over rights provided under international law as well as Pakistan’s Constitution,” he added.

The rights watchdog said the proposed law violates the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, privacy and peaceful assembly, and due process protections embodied in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Pakistan ratified in 2010. It underscored that the law could be used to suppress the opposition and criticism against any government policy.

It insisted that the Senate should refuse to approve the ‘repressive law’ and return it to the National Assembly with needed revisions.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2014.