| PAKISTAN Islamic Republic of Pakistan Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan Joined United Nations: 30 September 1947 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 06/22/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Islamabad
177,276,594 (July 2010 est.)
Asif Ali Zardari
President since 09 September 2008
President since 09 September 2008
Chosen by the Electoral College to serve a five-year term. The
electoral college comprises the Senate, National Assembly, and
the provincial assemblies. The president may be re-elected but
may not serve for more than two consecutive terms. Election last
held: 06 September 2008
Next scheduled election: 2013
electoral college comprises the Senate, National Assembly, and
the provincial assemblies. The president may be re-elected but
may not serve for more than two consecutive terms. Election last
held: 06 September 2008
Next scheduled election: 2013
| HEAD OF GOVERNMENT |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani
Prime Minister since 25 March 2008
Prime Minister since 25 March 2008
The prime minister is selected by the National Assembly
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Punjabi 44.68%, Pashtun (Pathan) 15.42%, Sindhi 14.1%, Sariaki 8.38%, Muhajirs 7.57%, Balochi 3.57%, other 6.28%
| RELIGIONS |
Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Federal republic with 4 provinces, 1 territory and 1 capital territory; the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and
Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities. Legal system is based on English common law with provisions to
accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive: The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan has a parliamentary form
of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a five-year term. The
electoral college comprises the Senate, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies. The president may be re-elected but may
not serve for more than two consecutive terms. Last election held: 6 September 2008; next election: 2013
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by
provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; half of the
Senate's seats turn over every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 seats filled by popular vote; 60 seats
reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2012); National Assembly - last held 18 February
2008 (next to be held in 2013)
Judicial: Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court
Kashmir region consists of two administrative entities. Legal system is based on English common law with provisions to
accommodate Pakistan's status as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive: The President of Pakistan is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan has a parliamentary form
of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a five-year term. The
electoral college comprises the Senate, National Assembly, and the provincial assemblies. The president may be re-elected but may
not serve for more than two consecutive terms. Last election held: 6 September 2008; next election: 2013
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament or Majlis-e-Shoora consists of the Senate (100 seats; members indirectly elected by
provincial assemblies and the territories' representatives in the National Assembly to serve six-year terms; half of the
Senate's seats turn over every three years) and the National Assembly (342 seats; 272 seats filled by popular vote; 60 seats
reserved for women; 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 3 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2012); National Assembly - last held 18 February
2008 (next to be held in 2013)
Judicial: Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president); Federal Islamic or Shari'a Court
| LANGUAGES |
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui
1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and other 8%
| BRIEF HISTORY |
The oldest evidence of palaeolithic human activity in South Asia (dating backing 45,000 years) was discovered in the Soan
River valley of Pothohar, Punjab, Pakistan. Mehrgarh was an ancient settlement in the Balochistan region of Pakistan and is
an important archaeological site for the earliest neolithic settlements in that region. After archaeological excavations in 1974,
it has also been cited as the earliest known farming settlement of South Asia (Jarrige et al). The earliest evidence of
settlement dates from 7000 BCE. It is also cited for the earliest evidence of pottery in South Asia. Archaeologists divide the
occupation at the site into several periods. Sometime between 2600 and 2000 BC, the city seems to have been largely
abandoned. Since the Indus Valley Civilisation was in its initial stages of development at that time, it has been surmised that
the inhabitants of Mehrgarh migrated to the fertile Indus valley as Balochistan became more arid due to climatic changes.
The Indus Valley civilization (c. 3300-1700 BCE) was one of the most ancient civilizations, on the banks of Indus River.
The natives of the region were the first inhabitants of the Indus valley. The founders of this civilisation are believed to be a
Dravidian people, but this remains difficult to verify as the Indus Valley script has not yet been definitively deciphered. To
date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in the general region to the east of the Indus River in
Pakistan and India. Although, the Indus Valley Civilization flourished in much of current-day Pakistan for over 1500 years, it
disappeared abruptly around 1700 BCE. It has been conjectured that a cataclysmic earthquake might have been the cause,
or, alternately, the drying up of the Ghagger-Hakra river. Soon thereafter, Indo-Aryan tribes from the Central Asian steppes
poured into the region. The part of ancient Afghanistan and Pakistan was ruled by the Persian Achaemenid Empire (c.520
BCE) during the reign of Darius the Great until Alexander the Great's conquest. It became part of the empire as a satrapy
that included the lands of present-day Pakistani Punjab, the Indus River, from the borders of Gandhara down to the Arabian
Sea, and other parts of the Indus plain. The interaction between Hellenistic Greece and Buddhism started when Alexander
the Great conquered Asia Minor, the Achaemenid Empire and ancient Pakistan in 334 BCE, defeating Porus at the Battle of
the Hydaspes (near modern-day Jhelum) and conquering much of the Punjab region. Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelled
Græco-Buddhism, is the cultural syncretism between the culture of Classical Greece and Buddhism, which developed over a
period of close to 800 years in the area corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, between the fourth century
BCE and the fifth century CE. From 2nd century BC to 5th century CE the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent
came under continuous invasions of different Turko-Iranian, Bactrians, Sakas, Parthians, Kushans, and Huns. During those
centuries ethnic composition of the region remained in flex until the 7th century, when it was stabilized. Rajputs, Jats, and
Gujjars became integral part of the population. With the mixing of the Iranian people, a physical feature became
predominated in the Baloch region which resemble to Iranic or other Caucasoid races to the west. This made people of the
Baloch region distinct from the rest of the South Asia. These Caucasoid physical features become more prominent with the
movement of Pakhtuns and Balochis. Prior to the 8th century the region was dominated by native rulers in the east and the
Sassanid Persians in the west. During this period, another event occurred which would drastically transform the region, the
coming of Islam. A Syrian Muslim chieftain named Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the region early in the 8th century
(712) and extended Umayyad rule to the Indus River. Like Alexander the Great, Qasim travelled and subdued the region
from Sindh to Kashmir. Muhammad Bin Qasim, himself a youth of only 20, managed this feat by leading a small force of
only 6,000 Syrian tribesmen and reached the borders of Kashmir within three years. During the start of the 16th to the 19th
century CE saw the arrivals of the moghal empire, which played a huge role in the development of the region not only
economically but also culturally. The arrival of people from the Central Asian nations such as the Turks and Mongols was a
significant turning point in the history of present-day Pakistan. The Qalandars (wandering Sufi saints) from Central Asia,
Persia and Middle East preached a mystical form of Islam that appealed to the Buddhist and Hindu populations of Pakistan.
In 1739 Nadir Shah attacked India and after defeating the Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah (Rangeela) claimed Punjab
(from Lahore westward), the North-West Frontier Province, Balochistan and Sind as provinces of his Empire. In the early
19th century, the Mughal empire and the Afghan Durrani empire weakened in power. Taking advantage of the situation,
Sikhs conquered most of the Punjab, and parts of Kashmir and Eastern Afghanistan. During the middle of the second
millennium, several European countries, such as Great Britain, Portugal, Holland and France were initially interested in trade
with South Asian rulers including the Mughals and leaders of other independent Kingdoms. The Europeans took advantage
of the fractured kingdoms and the divided rule to colonize the country. Most of India came under the crown of the British
Empire in 1857 after a failed insurrection, popularly known as the First War of Indian Independence, against the British East
India Company by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Present-day Pakistan remained part of British South Asia until August 14, 1947.
Just two years following the formation of a Constitution and a declaration as an Islamic Republic, the military took control of
the nation in 1958. Field Marshall Ayub Khan also started Basic Democracy in which the people elected electors who in
turn voted to select the President. Between 1947 and 1971, the nation consisted of two parts, West Pakistan and East
Pakistan, geographically separated with India in between. During the 1960s, there was a rise in Bengali nationalism, and
allegations that economic development and government jobs favoured West Pakistan. An independence movement in East
Pakistan began to gather ground. The result was the emergence of the new nation of Bangladesh. On 12 October 1999,
Sharif attempted to dismiss army chief Pervez Musharraf and install ISI director Khwaja Ziauddin in his place. Musharraf,
who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Senior Army generals refused to accept
Musharraf's dismissal. Nawaz Sharif ordered the Jinnah International Airport (Quaid-e-Azam International Airport) to
prevent the landing of the airliner, which then circled the skies over Karachi. In a coup, the generals ousted Sharif's
administration and took over the airport. The plane landed with only a few minutes of fuel to spare, and General Pervez
Musharraf assumed control of the government. While economic reforms undertaken during his regime have yielded some
results, social reform programmes appear to have met with resistance. Musharraf's power is threatened by extremists who
have grown in strength since the September 11, 2001 attacks and who are particularly angered by Musharraf's close
political and military alliance with the United States, including his support of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and his liberal
views on reforming Islam. Musharraf has survived assassination attempts by terrorist groups believed to be part of
Al-Qaeda, including at least two instances where the terrorists had inside information from a member of his military security
detail. Pending the threat of impeachment by the new Pakistani coalition government, Musharraf resigned the presidency on
18 August 2008. As required by the constitution, Mohammedmian Soomro (in his position as Chairman of the Senate)
automatically became acting President on 18 August 2008, upon the resignation of Musharraf. The constitution also requires
that a new President be elected by Parliament within 30 days; Soomro is considered loyal to Musharraf, and it is considered
certain that he will be replaced in that election. On 6 September 2008, Asif Ali Zardari was elected Pakistan's 13th
President since 1956. On 9 September 2008, Asif Ali Zardari, sworn in as President of Pakistan. A 53 years old Asif
Zardari took oath from Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar.
Sources: Wikipedia: History of Pakistan
River valley of Pothohar, Punjab, Pakistan. Mehrgarh was an ancient settlement in the Balochistan region of Pakistan and is
an important archaeological site for the earliest neolithic settlements in that region. After archaeological excavations in 1974,
it has also been cited as the earliest known farming settlement of South Asia (Jarrige et al). The earliest evidence of
settlement dates from 7000 BCE. It is also cited for the earliest evidence of pottery in South Asia. Archaeologists divide the
occupation at the site into several periods. Sometime between 2600 and 2000 BC, the city seems to have been largely
abandoned. Since the Indus Valley Civilisation was in its initial stages of development at that time, it has been surmised that
the inhabitants of Mehrgarh migrated to the fertile Indus valley as Balochistan became more arid due to climatic changes.
The Indus Valley civilization (c. 3300-1700 BCE) was one of the most ancient civilizations, on the banks of Indus River.
The natives of the region were the first inhabitants of the Indus valley. The founders of this civilisation are believed to be a
Dravidian people, but this remains difficult to verify as the Indus Valley script has not yet been definitively deciphered. To
date, over 1,052 cities and settlements have been found, mainly in the general region to the east of the Indus River in
Pakistan and India. Although, the Indus Valley Civilization flourished in much of current-day Pakistan for over 1500 years, it
disappeared abruptly around 1700 BCE. It has been conjectured that a cataclysmic earthquake might have been the cause,
or, alternately, the drying up of the Ghagger-Hakra river. Soon thereafter, Indo-Aryan tribes from the Central Asian steppes
poured into the region. The part of ancient Afghanistan and Pakistan was ruled by the Persian Achaemenid Empire (c.520
BCE) during the reign of Darius the Great until Alexander the Great's conquest. It became part of the empire as a satrapy
that included the lands of present-day Pakistani Punjab, the Indus River, from the borders of Gandhara down to the Arabian
Sea, and other parts of the Indus plain. The interaction between Hellenistic Greece and Buddhism started when Alexander
the Great conquered Asia Minor, the Achaemenid Empire and ancient Pakistan in 334 BCE, defeating Porus at the Battle of
the Hydaspes (near modern-day Jhelum) and conquering much of the Punjab region. Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelled
Græco-Buddhism, is the cultural syncretism between the culture of Classical Greece and Buddhism, which developed over a
period of close to 800 years in the area corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, between the fourth century
BCE and the fifth century CE. From 2nd century BC to 5th century CE the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent
came under continuous invasions of different Turko-Iranian, Bactrians, Sakas, Parthians, Kushans, and Huns. During those
centuries ethnic composition of the region remained in flex until the 7th century, when it was stabilized. Rajputs, Jats, and
Gujjars became integral part of the population. With the mixing of the Iranian people, a physical feature became
predominated in the Baloch region which resemble to Iranic or other Caucasoid races to the west. This made people of the
Baloch region distinct from the rest of the South Asia. These Caucasoid physical features become more prominent with the
movement of Pakhtuns and Balochis. Prior to the 8th century the region was dominated by native rulers in the east and the
Sassanid Persians in the west. During this period, another event occurred which would drastically transform the region, the
coming of Islam. A Syrian Muslim chieftain named Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the region early in the 8th century
(712) and extended Umayyad rule to the Indus River. Like Alexander the Great, Qasim travelled and subdued the region
from Sindh to Kashmir. Muhammad Bin Qasim, himself a youth of only 20, managed this feat by leading a small force of
only 6,000 Syrian tribesmen and reached the borders of Kashmir within three years. During the start of the 16th to the 19th
century CE saw the arrivals of the moghal empire, which played a huge role in the development of the region not only
economically but also culturally. The arrival of people from the Central Asian nations such as the Turks and Mongols was a
significant turning point in the history of present-day Pakistan. The Qalandars (wandering Sufi saints) from Central Asia,
Persia and Middle East preached a mystical form of Islam that appealed to the Buddhist and Hindu populations of Pakistan.
In 1739 Nadir Shah attacked India and after defeating the Mughal Emperor Mohammed Shah (Rangeela) claimed Punjab
(from Lahore westward), the North-West Frontier Province, Balochistan and Sind as provinces of his Empire. In the early
19th century, the Mughal empire and the Afghan Durrani empire weakened in power. Taking advantage of the situation,
Sikhs conquered most of the Punjab, and parts of Kashmir and Eastern Afghanistan. During the middle of the second
millennium, several European countries, such as Great Britain, Portugal, Holland and France were initially interested in trade
with South Asian rulers including the Mughals and leaders of other independent Kingdoms. The Europeans took advantage
of the fractured kingdoms and the divided rule to colonize the country. Most of India came under the crown of the British
Empire in 1857 after a failed insurrection, popularly known as the First War of Indian Independence, against the British East
India Company by Bahadur Shah Zafar. Present-day Pakistan remained part of British South Asia until August 14, 1947.
Just two years following the formation of a Constitution and a declaration as an Islamic Republic, the military took control of
the nation in 1958. Field Marshall Ayub Khan also started Basic Democracy in which the people elected electors who in
turn voted to select the President. Between 1947 and 1971, the nation consisted of two parts, West Pakistan and East
Pakistan, geographically separated with India in between. During the 1960s, there was a rise in Bengali nationalism, and
allegations that economic development and government jobs favoured West Pakistan. An independence movement in East
Pakistan began to gather ground. The result was the emergence of the new nation of Bangladesh. On 12 October 1999,
Sharif attempted to dismiss army chief Pervez Musharraf and install ISI director Khwaja Ziauddin in his place. Musharraf,
who was out of the country, boarded a commercial airliner to return to Pakistan. Senior Army generals refused to accept
Musharraf's dismissal. Nawaz Sharif ordered the Jinnah International Airport (Quaid-e-Azam International Airport) to
prevent the landing of the airliner, which then circled the skies over Karachi. In a coup, the generals ousted Sharif's
administration and took over the airport. The plane landed with only a few minutes of fuel to spare, and General Pervez
Musharraf assumed control of the government. While economic reforms undertaken during his regime have yielded some
results, social reform programmes appear to have met with resistance. Musharraf's power is threatened by extremists who
have grown in strength since the September 11, 2001 attacks and who are particularly angered by Musharraf's close
political and military alliance with the United States, including his support of the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and his liberal
views on reforming Islam. Musharraf has survived assassination attempts by terrorist groups believed to be part of
Al-Qaeda, including at least two instances where the terrorists had inside information from a member of his military security
detail. Pending the threat of impeachment by the new Pakistani coalition government, Musharraf resigned the presidency on
18 August 2008. As required by the constitution, Mohammedmian Soomro (in his position as Chairman of the Senate)
automatically became acting President on 18 August 2008, upon the resignation of Musharraf. The constitution also requires
that a new President be elected by Parliament within 30 days; Soomro is considered loyal to Musharraf, and it is considered
certain that he will be replaced in that election. On 6 September 2008, Asif Ali Zardari was elected Pakistan's 13th
President since 1956. On 9 September 2008, Asif Ali Zardari, sworn in as President of Pakistan. A 53 years old Asif
Zardari took oath from Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar.
Sources: Wikipedia: History of Pakistan
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Pakistan, an impoverished and underdeveloped country, has suffered from decades of internal political disputes and low
levels of foreign investment. Between 2001-07, however, poverty levels decreased by 10%, as Islamabad steadily raised
development spending. Between 2004-07, GDP growth in the 5-8% range was spurred by gains in the industrial and service
sectors - despite severe electricity shortfalls - but growth slowed in 2008-09 and unemployment rose. Inflation remains the
top concern among the public, jumping from 7.7% in 2007 to 20.3% in 2008, and 14.2% in 2009. In addition, the Pakistani
rupee has depreciated since 2007 as a result of political and economic instability. The government agreed to an International
Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis, but during 2009 its
current account strengthened and foreign exchange reserves stabilized - largely because of lower oil prices and record
remittances from workers abroad. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, but Pakistan's failure to expand a
viable export base for other manufactures have left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Other long term
challenges include expanding investment in education, healthcare, and electricity production, and reducing dependence on
foreign donors.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Pakistan)
levels of foreign investment. Between 2001-07, however, poverty levels decreased by 10%, as Islamabad steadily raised
development spending. Between 2004-07, GDP growth in the 5-8% range was spurred by gains in the industrial and service
sectors - despite severe electricity shortfalls - but growth slowed in 2008-09 and unemployment rose. Inflation remains the
top concern among the public, jumping from 7.7% in 2007 to 20.3% in 2008, and 14.2% in 2009. In addition, the Pakistani
rupee has depreciated since 2007 as a result of political and economic instability. The government agreed to an International
Monetary Fund Standby Arrangement in November 2008 in response to a balance of payments crisis, but during 2009 its
current account strengthened and foreign exchange reserves stabilized - largely because of lower oil prices and record
remittances from workers abroad. Textiles account for most of Pakistan's export earnings, but Pakistan's failure to expand a
viable export base for other manufactures have left the country vulnerable to shifts in world demand. Other long term
challenges include expanding investment in education, healthcare, and electricity production, and reducing dependence on
foreign donors.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Pakistan)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Officially a federal republic, Pakistan has had a long history of alternating periods of electoral democracy and authoritarian
military government. Military presidents include General Ayub Khan in the 1960s, General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, and
General Pervez Musharraf from 1999. However, a majority of Pakistan's Heads of State and Heads of Government have
been elected civilian leaders. General elections were held in October 2002.
Recently the Politics of Pakistan has taken place in the framework of a federal republic, where the system of government has
at times been parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential. In the current semi-presidential system, the President of
Pakistan is the head of state, the Prime Minister is head of government, and there is a multi-party system. Executive power is
exercised by the government. Legislative power is largely vested in the Parliament.
The president, in keeping with the constitutional provision that the state religion is Islam, must be a Muslim. Elected for a
five-year term by an Electoral College consisting of members of the Senate and National Assembly and members of the
provincial assemblies, the president is eligible for reelection. But no individual may hold the office for more than two
consecutive terms.
The prime minister is appointed by the members of the National Assembly through a vote. The prime minister is assisted by
the Federal Cabinet, a council of ministers whose members are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Pakistan
military government. Military presidents include General Ayub Khan in the 1960s, General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, and
General Pervez Musharraf from 1999. However, a majority of Pakistan's Heads of State and Heads of Government have
been elected civilian leaders. General elections were held in October 2002.
Recently the Politics of Pakistan has taken place in the framework of a federal republic, where the system of government has
at times been parliamentary, presidential, or semi-presidential. In the current semi-presidential system, the President of
Pakistan is the head of state, the Prime Minister is head of government, and there is a multi-party system. Executive power is
exercised by the government. Legislative power is largely vested in the Parliament.
The president, in keeping with the constitutional provision that the state religion is Islam, must be a Muslim. Elected for a
five-year term by an Electoral College consisting of members of the Senate and National Assembly and members of the
provincial assemblies, the president is eligible for reelection. But no individual may hold the office for more than two
consecutive terms.
The prime minister is appointed by the members of the National Assembly through a vote. The prime minister is assisted by
the Federal Cabinet, a council of ministers whose members are appointed by the president on the advice of the prime
minister.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Pakistan
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Various talks and confidence-building measures cautiously have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, particularly since
the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized
territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has
maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to
China in 1964; India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the
armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and
construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water
sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India
and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in
the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN
assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly more than a million, many of whom remain at their own
choosing; Pakistan has proposed and Afghanistan protests construction of a fence and laying of mines along portions of their
porous border; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to monitor and control the border with Afghanistan and to
stem terrorist or other illegal activities
the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most militarized
territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has
maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to
China in 1964; India and Pakistan have maintained their 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated discussions on defusing the
armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line of Control and
construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on water
sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India
and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in
the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show the Junagadh claim in India's Gujarat State; by 2005, Pakistan, with UN
assistance, repatriated 2.3 million Afghan refugees leaving slightly more than a million, many of whom remain at their own
choosing; Pakistan has proposed and Afghanistan protests construction of a fence and laying of mines along portions of their
porous border; Pakistan has sent troops into remote tribal areas to monitor and control the border with Afghanistan and to
stem terrorist or other illegal activities
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
Refugees (country of origin): 1,043,984 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan); 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake; most
of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2007)
IDPs: undetermined (government strikes on Islamic militants in South Waziristan); 34,000 (October 2005 earthquake; most
of those displaced returned to their home villages in the spring of 2006) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Significant transit area for Afghan drugs, including heroin, opium, morphine, and hashish, bound for Iran, Western markets,
the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain
problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal
and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests
the Gulf States, Africa, and Asia; financial crimes related to drug trafficking, terrorism, corruption, and smuggling remain
problems; opium poppy cultivation estimated to be 2,300 hectares in 2007 with 600 of those hectares eradicated; federal
and provincial authorities continue to conduct anti-poppy campaigns that utilizes forced eradication, fines, and arrests
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Pakistan
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Pakistan is a federal republic with a population of approximately 176 million. In 2008 civilian democratic rule was restored in the
country through elections that international observers deemed competitive and reflective of the people's will. Asif Ali Zardari, the
widower of assassinated Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto, became president and head of state on September 6,
2008. Yousuf Gilani is the prime minister and head of government. The PPP and its federal coalition partners control the executive
and legislative branches of the national government and three of the four provincial assemblies.
On March 16, in the wake of large-scale demonstrations by the "Lawyers Movement" and pressure from the opposition Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Prime Minister Gilani reinstated Iftikhar Chaudhry as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as
well as 10 other judges then President Pervez Musharraf had removed from office in November 2007. On July 31, the Supreme
Court declared unconstitutional the November 2007 emergency and provisional constitutional order. On December 16, the Supreme
Court declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) void, reopening all the cases against its beneficiaries. . The ordinance
had allowed officials accused of corruption to return to the government. The Supreme Court’s ruling invalidated the ordinance
(thereby allowing corruption cases to resume). At year‘s end, a debate continued about the fate of beneficiaries, including the
president, ministers, and parliamentarians. Security forces often acted independently of civilian authority.
Although the civilian government took some positive steps, the overall human rights situation remained poor. Major problems
included;
Militants launched a spring offensive in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), briefly occupying territory 60 miles north of
the capital. Military operations to repel the militants from Malakand Division and parts of the FATA displaced approximately three
million people at the peak of the crisis. By July, families from Malakand Division began to return; by year’s end, approximately 1.66
million had returned to their home areas. On August 12, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released a report
stating that both the government security forces and insurgents had committed human rights violations, including extrajudicial
killings, during the conflict in Malakand.
During the year, military operations in the FATA and the NWFP killed approximately 1,150 civilians, and militant attacks in FATA
and NWFP killed 825 more civilians. Sectarian violence in the country killed approximately 1,125 individuals. More than 65 suicide
bombings throughout the country killed an estimated 970 individuals. In Balochistan, the ongoing low-level insurgency killed
approximately 125 civilians, according to media reports. Ongoing battles with militants created a fluctuating number of internally
displaced persons (IDPs). At year's end there were an estimated 1.2 million IDPs in the NWFP and FATA.
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Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Pakistan is a federal republic with a population of approximately 176 million. In 2008 civilian democratic rule was restored in the
country through elections that international observers deemed competitive and reflective of the people's will. Asif Ali Zardari, the
widower of assassinated Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto, became president and head of state on September 6,
2008. Yousuf Gilani is the prime minister and head of government. The PPP and its federal coalition partners control the executive
and legislative branches of the national government and three of the four provincial assemblies.
On March 16, in the wake of large-scale demonstrations by the "Lawyers Movement" and pressure from the opposition Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Prime Minister Gilani reinstated Iftikhar Chaudhry as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as
well as 10 other judges then President Pervez Musharraf had removed from office in November 2007. On July 31, the Supreme
Court declared unconstitutional the November 2007 emergency and provisional constitutional order. On December 16, the Supreme
Court declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) void, reopening all the cases against its beneficiaries. . The ordinance
had allowed officials accused of corruption to return to the government. The Supreme Court’s ruling invalidated the ordinance
(thereby allowing corruption cases to resume). At year‘s end, a debate continued about the fate of beneficiaries, including the
president, ministers, and parliamentarians. Security forces often acted independently of civilian authority.
Although the civilian government took some positive steps, the overall human rights situation remained poor. Major problems
included;
- extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances.
- Collective punishment was a problem, particularly in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which fall under the
legal framework of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). - Lengthy trial delays and failures to discipline and prosecute those responsible for abuses contributed to a culture of impunity.
- Poor prison conditions, arbitrary arrest, and lengthy pretrial detention remained problems, as did a lack of judicial
independence. - Corruption was widespread within the government and police forces, and the government made few attempts to combat the
problem. - Rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and abuse against women remained serious problems.
- Honor crimes and discriminatory legislation affected women and religious minorities respectively.
- Religious freedom violations and inter-sectarian religious conflict continued.
- Widespread trafficking in persons, child labor, and exploitation of indentured and bonded children were ongoing problems.
- Child abuse, commercial sexual exploitation of children, discrimination against persons with disabilities, and lack of respect
for worker rights remained concerns.
Militants launched a spring offensive in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), briefly occupying territory 60 miles north of
the capital. Military operations to repel the militants from Malakand Division and parts of the FATA displaced approximately three
million people at the peak of the crisis. By July, families from Malakand Division began to return; by year’s end, approximately 1.66
million had returned to their home areas. On August 12, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released a report
stating that both the government security forces and insurgents had committed human rights violations, including extrajudicial
killings, during the conflict in Malakand.
During the year, military operations in the FATA and the NWFP killed approximately 1,150 civilians, and militant attacks in FATA
and NWFP killed 825 more civilians. Sectarian violence in the country killed approximately 1,125 individuals. More than 65 suicide
bombings throughout the country killed an estimated 970 individuals. In Balochistan, the ongoing low-level insurgency killed
approximately 125 civilians, according to media reports. Ongoing battles with militants created a fluctuating number of internally
displaced persons (IDPs). At year's end there were an estimated 1.2 million IDPs in the NWFP and FATA.
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4 March 2009
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Seventy-fourth session
16 February – 6 March 2009
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
PAKISTAN
A. INTRODUCTION
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the fifteenth to twentieth periodic reports and the opportunity thus offered to
resume the dialogue with the State party. It also expresses appreciation for the frank and sincere dialogue held with the delegation
and the efforts made to provide responses to many questions raised in the list of issues and posed by Committee members during
the dialogue.
3. Noting that the report was almost 10 years overdue when submitted, the Committee invites the State party to observe the
deadlines set for the submission of its reports in the future.
B. POSITIVE ASPECTS
4. The Committee notes the commitments pledged by the State party, in particular with regard to the establishment of an
independent national human rights institution and its commitment to promote equal rights of minorities, during the process of
Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council and encourages the State party to fulfil these.
5. The Committee notes with appreciation the constitutional provisions and other legislation aimed at establishing equality between
all citizens of the State party, as well as the institutional framework for the protection of human rights, including the establishment
of the Ministry of Minority Affairs as well as the National Commission for Minorities. The Committee also welcomes the Special
Measures put in place to advance the equal enjoyment of rights by members of minority groups, such as reserved seats in the
federal as well as provincial legislatures.
C. CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8. The Committee reiterates its concern about the lack of disaggregated statistical data in the report of the State party regarding the
ethnic composition of its population and on the enjoyment by members of ethnic minorities, including non-citizens, of the rights
protected under the Convention.
The Committee recommends that the State party provide it with data on the ethnic composition of the population. The collection of
such data should preferably be based on self-identification by the individuals concerned, and carried out in accordance with the
Committee’s General Recommendation VIII concerning the interpretation and application of Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 4, of the
Convention, and with paragraphs 10 and 11 of the guidelines for the submission of CERD-specific reports, approved at its seventy-
first session (CERD/C/2007/1). The Committee wishes to emphasize that such information will permit a better assessment of the
implementation of the Convention by State party and wishes to receive such information in the State party’s next periodic report.
Click here to read more »
COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Seventy-fourth session
16 February – 6 March 2009
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION
Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
PAKISTAN
A. INTRODUCTION
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the fifteenth to twentieth periodic reports and the opportunity thus offered to
resume the dialogue with the State party. It also expresses appreciation for the frank and sincere dialogue held with the delegation
and the efforts made to provide responses to many questions raised in the list of issues and posed by Committee members during
the dialogue.
3. Noting that the report was almost 10 years overdue when submitted, the Committee invites the State party to observe the
deadlines set for the submission of its reports in the future.
B. POSITIVE ASPECTS
4. The Committee notes the commitments pledged by the State party, in particular with regard to the establishment of an
independent national human rights institution and its commitment to promote equal rights of minorities, during the process of
Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council and encourages the State party to fulfil these.
5. The Committee notes with appreciation the constitutional provisions and other legislation aimed at establishing equality between
all citizens of the State party, as well as the institutional framework for the protection of human rights, including the establishment
of the Ministry of Minority Affairs as well as the National Commission for Minorities. The Committee also welcomes the Special
Measures put in place to advance the equal enjoyment of rights by members of minority groups, such as reserved seats in the
federal as well as provincial legislatures.
C. CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8. The Committee reiterates its concern about the lack of disaggregated statistical data in the report of the State party regarding the
ethnic composition of its population and on the enjoyment by members of ethnic minorities, including non-citizens, of the rights
protected under the Convention.
The Committee recommends that the State party provide it with data on the ethnic composition of the population. The collection of
such data should preferably be based on self-identification by the individuals concerned, and carried out in accordance with the
Committee’s General Recommendation VIII concerning the interpretation and application of Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 4, of the
Convention, and with paragraphs 10 and 11 of the guidelines for the submission of CERD-specific reports, approved at its seventy-
first session (CERD/C/2007/1). The Committee wishes to emphasize that such information will permit a better assessment of the
implementation of the Convention by State party and wishes to receive such information in the State party’s next periodic report.
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FREEDOM IN THE WORLD- 2010
Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Partly Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, which is
examined in a separate report.
Overview
In March 2009, the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari yielded to political pressure and allowed Iftikhar Chaudhry, the
chief justice of the Supreme Court who had been ousted by then military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007, to reclaim his post. The
court subsequently struck down a Musharraf-era amnesty law in December, exposing a number of politicians to possible
prosecution. Also during the year, Islamist militants attempted to extend their territorial control in North-West Frontier Province,
provoking a sustained military response that began in the spring. This in turn led to the mass displacement of civilians and a wave
of retaliatory terrorist attacks throughout the country.
The PPP and its allies gained a simple majority in the March 2009 Senate elections, but this victory was overshadowed by Zardari’s
abortive attempt to sideline the opposition PML-N, which continued to push for Chaudhry’s restoration. The crisis began with a
February Supreme Court decision—widely presumed to have been influenced by the president—to ban Nawaz Sharif and his
brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab, from office. The ruling led to the imposition of direct rule by Punjab’s governor and
rioting throughout the province. In response, the government filed cases against several hundred PML-N officials and activists,
placed Nawaz Sharif under house arrest, and ultimately banned political gatherings. Analysts argued that Zardari’s concurrent purge
of potential rivals within the PPP was also designed to consolidate his power. However, under pressure from the military and the
United States, Zardari relented, ordering Chaudhry’s reinstatement and asking the Supreme Court to review the case against the
Sharif brothers. By the end of March, Chaudhry had resumed his position as chief justice and the February ruling had been
reversed.
The Supreme Court soon began dismantling the legal actions taken by Musharraf under the 2007 state of emergency, declaring
them illegal and calling on Parliament to “regularize” them through ordinary legislation. In December the court specifically annulled
the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a 2007 amnesty that had eliminated pending legal cases against Zardari and other
exiled politicians so that they could return and participate in the 2008 elections. The ruling brought Zardari closer to possible
prosecution on the old corruption charges, though he still enjoyed immunity as president. Many officials who lacked such
protection, including cabinet ministers, faced immediate court proceedings at year’s end.
Although the military had stepped up its operations against Islamist militants in the FATA and NWFP in 2008, terrorist attacks and
other violence continued into 2009. In February, the government agreed to a peace deal in the NWFP’s Swat district with an
affiliate of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Taliban), a network of militant groups based in the FATA. Under the
agreement, the first of its kind outside the FATA, the militants would observe a ceasefire in return for the establishment of Sharia
(Islamic law) in the district. President Zardari approved legislation in April that formally imposed Sharia in seven districts of the
NWFP, including Swat. Meanwhile, militants seized control of additional districts in the province and began implementing their
harsh forms of justice. By May, the government had acknowledged the failure of the peace deal and resolved to retake the affected
districts by force. In August, a missile reportedly fired by a U.S. drone aircraft killed TTP leader Baitullah Mehsud, and by year’s
end the Pakistani military had expanded its campaign by reasserting control in Swat and occupying Mehsud’s stronghold in South
Waziristan, part of the FATA. Around two million civilians were displaced at various points by these military campaigns. Despite
these territorial gains, Islamist militants continued to stage devastating suicide attacks throughout Pakistan.
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Political Rights Score: 4
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Partly Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, which is
examined in a separate report.
Overview
In March 2009, the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari yielded to political pressure and allowed Iftikhar Chaudhry, the
chief justice of the Supreme Court who had been ousted by then military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007, to reclaim his post. The
court subsequently struck down a Musharraf-era amnesty law in December, exposing a number of politicians to possible
prosecution. Also during the year, Islamist militants attempted to extend their territorial control in North-West Frontier Province,
provoking a sustained military response that began in the spring. This in turn led to the mass displacement of civilians and a wave
of retaliatory terrorist attacks throughout the country.
The PPP and its allies gained a simple majority in the March 2009 Senate elections, but this victory was overshadowed by Zardari’s
abortive attempt to sideline the opposition PML-N, which continued to push for Chaudhry’s restoration. The crisis began with a
February Supreme Court decision—widely presumed to have been influenced by the president—to ban Nawaz Sharif and his
brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab, from office. The ruling led to the imposition of direct rule by Punjab’s governor and
rioting throughout the province. In response, the government filed cases against several hundred PML-N officials and activists,
placed Nawaz Sharif under house arrest, and ultimately banned political gatherings. Analysts argued that Zardari’s concurrent purge
of potential rivals within the PPP was also designed to consolidate his power. However, under pressure from the military and the
United States, Zardari relented, ordering Chaudhry’s reinstatement and asking the Supreme Court to review the case against the
Sharif brothers. By the end of March, Chaudhry had resumed his position as chief justice and the February ruling had been
reversed.
The Supreme Court soon began dismantling the legal actions taken by Musharraf under the 2007 state of emergency, declaring
them illegal and calling on Parliament to “regularize” them through ordinary legislation. In December the court specifically annulled
the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a 2007 amnesty that had eliminated pending legal cases against Zardari and other
exiled politicians so that they could return and participate in the 2008 elections. The ruling brought Zardari closer to possible
prosecution on the old corruption charges, though he still enjoyed immunity as president. Many officials who lacked such
protection, including cabinet ministers, faced immediate court proceedings at year’s end.
Although the military had stepped up its operations against Islamist militants in the FATA and NWFP in 2008, terrorist attacks and
other violence continued into 2009. In February, the government agreed to a peace deal in the NWFP’s Swat district with an
affiliate of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Taliban), a network of militant groups based in the FATA. Under the
agreement, the first of its kind outside the FATA, the militants would observe a ceasefire in return for the establishment of Sharia
(Islamic law) in the district. President Zardari approved legislation in April that formally imposed Sharia in seven districts of the
NWFP, including Swat. Meanwhile, militants seized control of additional districts in the province and began implementing their
harsh forms of justice. By May, the government had acknowledged the failure of the peace deal and resolved to retake the affected
districts by force. In August, a missile reportedly fired by a U.S. drone aircraft killed TTP leader Baitullah Mehsud, and by year’s
end the Pakistani military had expanded its campaign by reasserting control in Swat and occupying Mehsud’s stronghold in South
Waziristan, part of the FATA. Around two million civilians were displaced at various points by these military campaigns. Despite
these territorial gains, Islamist militants continued to stage devastating suicide attacks throughout Pakistan.
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Millions suffer in 'human rights free zone' in Northwest Pakistan
10 June 2010
Millions of Pakistanis in the northwest tribal areas live in a human rights free zone where they have no legal protection from the
government and are subject to abuses by the Taleban, Amnesty International said in a major report released today.
“Nearly 4 million people are effectively living under the Taleban in Northwest Pakistan without rule of law and effectively
abandoned by the Pakistani government,” said Claudio Cordone, Amnesty International’s interim Secretary General.
The 130-page report, ‘As if Hell Fell on Me’: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan, is based on nearly 300 interviews
with residents of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and adjacent areas of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP).
The report gives voice to those whose experiences are rarely reported and reveals the abuses faced by the region’s residents.
“There are still more than 1 million people who were displaced from their homes in Pakistan’s northwest tribal belt by the conflict
with the Taleban whose plight is largely ignored and are in desperate need of aid,” said Claudio Cordone.
Amnesty International’s review of available information also suggests that at least 1,300 civilians were killed in the fighting in
northwest Pakistan in 2009, from a total of more than 8,500 casualties (including combatants).
The report documents the systematic abuses carried out by the Taleban as they established their rule by killing those who challenge
their authority, such as tribal elders and government officials. They imposed their rule through torture and other ill-treatment,
targeting teachers, aid workers and political activists. The Taleban have particularly targeted women and schools and health clinics
catering to their needs.
Amnesty International was told of Taleban insurgents blocking roads to prevent civilians from escaping as villages fell under heavy
bombardment by government forces. The insurgents also increased the likelihood of civilian causalities by dispersing themselves
among civilians and in and around schools.
Successive Pakistani governments have treated the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan with disdain, ignoring the rights of the area’s
residents, particular in FATA. Over the past decade, Pakistan’s government has veered from appeasing the Pakistani Taleban
through a series of failed “peace deals” to launching heavy handed military operations that include indiscriminate or disproportionate
attacks.
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10 June 2010
Millions of Pakistanis in the northwest tribal areas live in a human rights free zone where they have no legal protection from the
government and are subject to abuses by the Taleban, Amnesty International said in a major report released today.
“Nearly 4 million people are effectively living under the Taleban in Northwest Pakistan without rule of law and effectively
abandoned by the Pakistani government,” said Claudio Cordone, Amnesty International’s interim Secretary General.
The 130-page report, ‘As if Hell Fell on Me’: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan, is based on nearly 300 interviews
with residents of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and adjacent areas of the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP).
The report gives voice to those whose experiences are rarely reported and reveals the abuses faced by the region’s residents.
“There are still more than 1 million people who were displaced from their homes in Pakistan’s northwest tribal belt by the conflict
with the Taleban whose plight is largely ignored and are in desperate need of aid,” said Claudio Cordone.
Amnesty International’s review of available information also suggests that at least 1,300 civilians were killed in the fighting in
northwest Pakistan in 2009, from a total of more than 8,500 casualties (including combatants).
The report documents the systematic abuses carried out by the Taleban as they established their rule by killing those who challenge
their authority, such as tribal elders and government officials. They imposed their rule through torture and other ill-treatment,
targeting teachers, aid workers and political activists. The Taleban have particularly targeted women and schools and health clinics
catering to their needs.
Amnesty International was told of Taleban insurgents blocking roads to prevent civilians from escaping as villages fell under heavy
bombardment by government forces. The insurgents also increased the likelihood of civilian causalities by dispersing themselves
among civilians and in and around schools.
Successive Pakistani governments have treated the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan with disdain, ignoring the rights of the area’s
residents, particular in FATA. Over the past decade, Pakistan’s government has veered from appeasing the Pakistani Taleban
through a series of failed “peace deals” to launching heavy handed military operations that include indiscriminate or disproportionate
attacks.
Click here to read more »
Pakistan: Massacre of Minority Ahmadis
Attack on Hospital Treating Victims Shows How State Inaction Emboldens Extremists
June 1, 2010
(New York) – Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments should take immediate legal action against Islamist extremist groups
responsible for threats and violence against the minority Ahmadiyya religious community, Human Rights Watch said today.
On May 28, 2010, extremist Islamist militants attacked two Ahmadiyya mosques in the central Pakistani city of Lahore with guns,
grenades, and suicide bombs, killing 94 people and injuring well over a hundred. Twenty-seven people were killed at the Baitul Nur
Mosque in the Model Town area of Lahore; 67 were killed at the Darul Zikr mosque in the suburb of Garhi Shahu. The Punjabi
Taliban, a local affiliate of the Pakistani Taliban, called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility.
On the night of May 31, unidentified gunmen attacked the Intensive Care Unit of Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital, where victims and one
of the alleged attackers in Friday's attacks were under treatment, sparking a shootout in which at least a further 12 people, mostly
police officers and hospital staff, were killed. The assailants succeeded in escaping.
“The mosque attacks and the subsequent attack on the hospital, amid rising sectarian violence, underscore the vulnerability of the
Ahmadi community,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s failure to
address religious persecution by Islamist groups effectively enables such atrocities.”
The US Department of State annual report on human rights recorded the killing of 11 Ahmadis for their faith in 2009.
Human Rights Watch called on Pakistan's government to immediately introduce legislation in parliament to repeal laws
discriminating against religious minorities such as the Ahmadis, including the penal statute that makes capital punishment mandatory
for “blasphemy.”
Human Rights Watch also urged the government of Punjab province, controlled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan
Muslim League (Nawaz) party, to investigate and prosecute as appropriate campaigns of intimidation, threats, and violence against
the Ahmadiyya community by Islamist groups such as the Sunni Tehrik, Tehrik-e-Tahafaz-e-Naomoos-e-Risalat, Khatm-e-
Nabuwat and other groups acting under the Taliban’s umbrella. Leaders of these groups have frequently threatened to kill Ahmadis
and attack the mosques where the killings took place. The anti-Ahmadiyya campaign has intensified in the past year, exemplified by
the government allowing groups to place banners seeking the death of “Qadianis” (a derogatory term for Ahmadis) on the main
thoroughfares of Lahore.
Click here to read more »
Attack on Hospital Treating Victims Shows How State Inaction Emboldens Extremists
June 1, 2010
(New York) – Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments should take immediate legal action against Islamist extremist groups
responsible for threats and violence against the minority Ahmadiyya religious community, Human Rights Watch said today.
On May 28, 2010, extremist Islamist militants attacked two Ahmadiyya mosques in the central Pakistani city of Lahore with guns,
grenades, and suicide bombs, killing 94 people and injuring well over a hundred. Twenty-seven people were killed at the Baitul Nur
Mosque in the Model Town area of Lahore; 67 were killed at the Darul Zikr mosque in the suburb of Garhi Shahu. The Punjabi
Taliban, a local affiliate of the Pakistani Taliban, called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility.
On the night of May 31, unidentified gunmen attacked the Intensive Care Unit of Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital, where victims and one
of the alleged attackers in Friday's attacks were under treatment, sparking a shootout in which at least a further 12 people, mostly
police officers and hospital staff, were killed. The assailants succeeded in escaping.
“The mosque attacks and the subsequent attack on the hospital, amid rising sectarian violence, underscore the vulnerability of the
Ahmadi community,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government’s failure to
address religious persecution by Islamist groups effectively enables such atrocities.”
The US Department of State annual report on human rights recorded the killing of 11 Ahmadis for their faith in 2009.
Human Rights Watch called on Pakistan's government to immediately introduce legislation in parliament to repeal laws
discriminating against religious minorities such as the Ahmadis, including the penal statute that makes capital punishment mandatory
for “blasphemy.”
Human Rights Watch also urged the government of Punjab province, controlled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan
Muslim League (Nawaz) party, to investigate and prosecute as appropriate campaigns of intimidation, threats, and violence against
the Ahmadiyya community by Islamist groups such as the Sunni Tehrik, Tehrik-e-Tahafaz-e-Naomoos-e-Risalat, Khatm-e-
Nabuwat and other groups acting under the Taliban’s umbrella. Leaders of these groups have frequently threatened to kill Ahmadis
and attack the mosques where the killings took place. The anti-Ahmadiyya campaign has intensified in the past year, exemplified by
the government allowing groups to place banners seeking the death of “Qadianis” (a derogatory term for Ahmadis) on the main
thoroughfares of Lahore.
Click here to read more »
Statement by the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan His Excellency Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, at the Sixty Fourth
Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York 25 September 2009
Mr. President,
In Pakistan the will of the people has prevailed;
Our people have witnessed a profound democratic transformation.
We have entered into a new era of democracy, rule of law and human rights.
Democracy in Pakistan is of great importance, not only for our country, but also for our region, and the world.
Pakistan has struggled hard for democracy.
My late wife Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto led the fight for democracy and laid down her life for it.
Following in the footsteps of her great father Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto she made the ultimate sacrifice, so that our nation may
live in democracy.
We are now following in her footsteps.
I, my Party, my people and Pakistan’s democracy are grateful to the international community to our Secretary General His
Excellency Ban Ki Moon for constituting an International Commission of Investigation into her assassination.
We are confident that the Commission will bring out all dimensions of her life, work and tragic assassination.
The world supported our struggle for democracy.
We thank you for that support.
Democracy in Pakistan is beginning to achieve successes in the fight against militancy.
The real challenge now is to make democracy sustainable, indeed irreversible.
This requires that democracy should be able to deliver;
It should meet aspirations of our people for progress and prosperity.
It must give our people peace and stability.
Click here to read more »
Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York 25 September 2009
Mr. President,
In Pakistan the will of the people has prevailed;
Our people have witnessed a profound democratic transformation.
We have entered into a new era of democracy, rule of law and human rights.
Democracy in Pakistan is of great importance, not only for our country, but also for our region, and the world.
Pakistan has struggled hard for democracy.
My late wife Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto led the fight for democracy and laid down her life for it.
Following in the footsteps of her great father Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto she made the ultimate sacrifice, so that our nation may
live in democracy.
We are now following in her footsteps.
I, my Party, my people and Pakistan’s democracy are grateful to the international community to our Secretary General His
Excellency Ban Ki Moon for constituting an International Commission of Investigation into her assassination.
We are confident that the Commission will bring out all dimensions of her life, work and tragic assassination.
The world supported our struggle for democracy.
We thank you for that support.
Democracy in Pakistan is beginning to achieve successes in the fight against militancy.
The real challenge now is to make democracy sustainable, indeed irreversible.
This requires that democracy should be able to deliver;
It should meet aspirations of our people for progress and prosperity.
It must give our people peace and stability.
Click here to read more »
10 May 2010
HRCP probe finds manipulation, politicization of judiciary in AJK
The recent controversy over the appointment of judges to the superior courts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has
exposed constant manipulation of the judiciary by the executive and the consequent politicization of the judiciary in AJK
Lahore, June 10, 2010: The recent controversy over the appointment of judges to the superior courts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK) has exposed constant manipulation of the judiciary by the executive and the consequent politicization of the judiciary in AJK,
the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said.
Launching the report of an HRCP fact-finding mission into the upheaval in the AJK judiciary, on Thursday, the Commission said
that political interference must end in order to strengthen the justice system in AJK. The report can be accessed at: http://www.
hrcp-web.org/pdf/AJK_Report.pdf
The judicial crisis brewing in AJK for the last several years had started with the appointment of Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry as
Chief Justice of the AJK Supreme Court in October 2006. Justice Chaudhry had merely spent three weeks as judge of the apex
court when he was made the AJK chief Justice, superseding a more senior judge, Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani.
A number of petitions were filed in the AJK High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan by lawyers and members of AJK
superior judiciary, challenging appointment of judges to superior courts in AJK. References were submitted to the AJK Supreme
Judicial Council against Chief Justice Chaudhry and Justice Gillani. Both the judges resigned in May 2010.
Shortly before the resignations, the polarization had reached the point that lawyers protesting against one of the judges had accused
the judge of blasphemy based on a sentence he had written in one of his judgments. The AJK Supreme Judicial Council had also
concluded that blasphemy had been committed and had cited it as one of the grounds for removal of the judge in question. HRCP
said that it was astonished by the charge and added that “such dangerous allegations against judges can become a terrifying trend if
not effectively discouraged… There can be no independence for the judiciary if judges are not protected against sanctions for
expressing themselves through their judgments.”
The HRCP report added that the two judges’ “departure will not remove the root causes of tension within the political and judicial
systems of AJK. These must be addressed so that the citizens of AJK can enjoy basic human rights, build a democratic political
system and strengthen the rule of law.”
HRCP added that it is critical that all appointments and promotions of judges of the superior courts in AJK are made on merit,
through a proper consultative process and without capricious interference from the executive authorities established through the
constitutional framework of AJK.
Click here to read more »
HRCP probe finds manipulation, politicization of judiciary in AJK
The recent controversy over the appointment of judges to the superior courts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has
exposed constant manipulation of the judiciary by the executive and the consequent politicization of the judiciary in AJK
Lahore, June 10, 2010: The recent controversy over the appointment of judges to the superior courts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
(AJK) has exposed constant manipulation of the judiciary by the executive and the consequent politicization of the judiciary in AJK,
the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said.
Launching the report of an HRCP fact-finding mission into the upheaval in the AJK judiciary, on Thursday, the Commission said
that political interference must end in order to strengthen the justice system in AJK. The report can be accessed at: http://www.
hrcp-web.org/pdf/AJK_Report.pdf
The judicial crisis brewing in AJK for the last several years had started with the appointment of Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry as
Chief Justice of the AJK Supreme Court in October 2006. Justice Chaudhry had merely spent three weeks as judge of the apex
court when he was made the AJK chief Justice, superseding a more senior judge, Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani.
A number of petitions were filed in the AJK High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan by lawyers and members of AJK
superior judiciary, challenging appointment of judges to superior courts in AJK. References were submitted to the AJK Supreme
Judicial Council against Chief Justice Chaudhry and Justice Gillani. Both the judges resigned in May 2010.
Shortly before the resignations, the polarization had reached the point that lawyers protesting against one of the judges had accused
the judge of blasphemy based on a sentence he had written in one of his judgments. The AJK Supreme Judicial Council had also
concluded that blasphemy had been committed and had cited it as one of the grounds for removal of the judge in question. HRCP
said that it was astonished by the charge and added that “such dangerous allegations against judges can become a terrifying trend if
not effectively discouraged… There can be no independence for the judiciary if judges are not protected against sanctions for
expressing themselves through their judgments.”
The HRCP report added that the two judges’ “departure will not remove the root causes of tension within the political and judicial
systems of AJK. These must be addressed so that the citizens of AJK can enjoy basic human rights, build a democratic political
system and strengthen the rule of law.”
HRCP added that it is critical that all appointments and promotions of judges of the superior courts in AJK are made on merit,
through a proper consultative process and without capricious interference from the executive authorities established through the
constitutional framework of AJK.
Click here to read more »
Children can send complaints to Wafaqi Mohtasib
Monday, January 18, 2010
Islamabad
Children can write, phone and e-mail to Wafaqi Mohtasib to file complaints against schools, hospitals and law enforcing agencies
for redressal of an act of injustice.
This is a unique initiative and children can send complaints to Children Complaint Office (CCO) of Wafaqi Mohtasib, which is
working to protect and promote rights of children.
Wafaqi Mohtasib joined hands with United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to create the complaint office under a project
Responsible, Enabling and Accountable Systems for Children Rights (Reach). Children are more than 50 per cent of the total
population of Pakistan.
Talking to this agency, Advisor and Head of Children’s Complaint Office Ejaz Qureshi said main objective of the complaint office
will be to provide an alternative forum to children for seeking justice.
The office will investigate cases filed by a child upto 18 years of age to prevent mal-administration on part of any federal agency.
At present the office is receiving 65 to 70 per cent of complaints from children residing in provinces. These cases are tackled by
complaint offices in provinces.
About 30 per cent of the complaints are registered by children living in federal areas and most of the problems are of admissions in
schools and colleges. These cases are taken up with the Federal Directorate of Education. Although courts hear cases filed by
children, but filing of legal applications, hiring of a lawyer and waiting for justice for months is expensive and tiresome. However,
suo moto action of courts is a ray of hope for petitioners as they get speedy justice.
Ejaz Qureshi said that the Children’s Complaint Office was established in 2008 and a workshop was held in Lahore to discuss its
working. The project began in earnest in April 2009 with the appointment of an in charge and officers to handle the cases.
As a first step, Wafaqi Mohtasib kept its procedures simple so that youngsters feel encouraged and willingly step forward to file
complaints.
Click here to read more »
Monday, January 18, 2010
Islamabad
Children can write, phone and e-mail to Wafaqi Mohtasib to file complaints against schools, hospitals and law enforcing agencies
for redressal of an act of injustice.
This is a unique initiative and children can send complaints to Children Complaint Office (CCO) of Wafaqi Mohtasib, which is
working to protect and promote rights of children.
Wafaqi Mohtasib joined hands with United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to create the complaint office under a project
Responsible, Enabling and Accountable Systems for Children Rights (Reach). Children are more than 50 per cent of the total
population of Pakistan.
Talking to this agency, Advisor and Head of Children’s Complaint Office Ejaz Qureshi said main objective of the complaint office
will be to provide an alternative forum to children for seeking justice.
The office will investigate cases filed by a child upto 18 years of age to prevent mal-administration on part of any federal agency.
At present the office is receiving 65 to 70 per cent of complaints from children residing in provinces. These cases are tackled by
complaint offices in provinces.
About 30 per cent of the complaints are registered by children living in federal areas and most of the problems are of admissions in
schools and colleges. These cases are taken up with the Federal Directorate of Education. Although courts hear cases filed by
children, but filing of legal applications, hiring of a lawyer and waiting for justice for months is expensive and tiresome. However,
suo moto action of courts is a ray of hope for petitioners as they get speedy justice.
Ejaz Qureshi said that the Children’s Complaint Office was established in 2008 and a workshop was held in Lahore to discuss its
working. The project began in earnest in April 2009 with the appointment of an in charge and officers to handle the cases.
As a first step, Wafaqi Mohtasib kept its procedures simple so that youngsters feel encouraged and willingly step forward to file
complaints.
Click here to read more »
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| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
