PAKISTAN'S HUMAN RIGHTS

pakistan's human rights  record has dramatically improved since the reforms that took place after the tenure of President Zia ul haq in 1988. The situation of human rights in Pakistan is a complex one, as a result of the country's diversity, large population, its status as a developing country and a sovereign,Islamic republic as well as an Islamic democracy  with a mixture of both Islamic and colonial secular laws. The constitution of Pakistan provides for fundamental rights, which include freedom of speech , freedom of religion , freedom of the press and the rights of arms. These clauses are generally respected in practice. Clauses also provide for separation of executive and judiciary, an independent judiciary and freedom of movement within the country and abroad.

 The founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be a moderate secular state blended with some Islamic values and principles. No Pakistani Government has ever come up with a detailed conclusion on what he exactly meant by this. Nevertheless, Pakistan's status as an Islamic republic should not be confused or compared with other Islamic Republics in the region, such as the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. Unlike Iran, Pakistan is not a theocracy, but rather an Islamic democracy  where elections regularly takes place on time and are mostly free and fair. Most of Pakistan's laws are secular  in nature, most of which were inherited from the United Kingdoms 's colonial rule of modern-day Pakistan before 1947. In recent times, there has been increasing pressure on Pakistan to amend or replace some of its outdated laws made during the time of the British Empire .

Although the government has enacted measures to counter any problems, abuses remain. Furthermore, courts suffer from lack of funds, outside intervention, and deep case backlogs that lead to long trial delays and lengthy pretrial detentions. Many observers inside and outside Pakistan contend that Pakistan’s legal code is largely concerned with crime, national security, and domestic tranquility and less with the protection of individual rights.

Police torture and beatings continue

even after tall claims by Punjab government and Suo Moto action taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. In the latest development Hafizabad Police has arrested a nine year old child on allegation of motorbike theft. Police continued severe torture on the child.

Police apprehended nine year old Ammar Hussain two days and imprisoned him in the jail with adult prisoners. Police also committed torture on sister of Ammar Hussain, her clothes were torn by the Police.

Ammar Hussain family has demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action and justify them.

Police will continue torture since no mechanism for accountability, says Farzana Bari

Farzana Bari leader of Human rights  said that Police is not afraid of any law. She accused that Police always misuse their powers. She added that everyone in Pakistan including the President abuse discretionary powers since no there is no proper accountability mechanism in the country.

Farzana claimed that the state is very weak. However she praised media that few of these cases are being reported.

        Media should not telecast cases time and over again, says Zulifkar Mirza

Zulfikar Cheema RPO Gujranwala speaking said that he was unaware, of the Hafizabad case yet. He assured that if this case has happened he would take action against those involved.

He argued that media should not telecast these cases time and over again, he added not to blame the entire Police department. Police team is only to serve masses. Zulifikar said that we are thankful for reporting and appropriate action would be taken. He added that according to law Police is not allowed to handcuff anyone below ten years.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Man is born free. No one has the right to deprive him of the basic necessities such as food,clothing,shelter and education.No government has the authority to violate the integrity of his person and to curb his right to freedom of thought of religion,of assembly,of speech and of movement both within and outside the country.

Authoritarian regimes have been known to repress these rights by arbitrarily imprisoning a person,denying the fair public trial and meeting out inhuman punishments to him.They have been guilty,sometimes denying him of his basic needs by placing a vast proportion of bits limited resources to corrupt officials or to creating a luxury goods for the elite.It is well known that many totalitarian are premised on the denial of these rights.when regimes in countries having democratic traditions violate these rights it most distressing.The IRANIAN example disregarding diplomatic norms and holding innocent diplomats as hostage,is a grim pointers to the violation of human rights.When human beings are forcibly abducted from their homes,interrogated incessantly at the pleasure of their captors and prided with electrodes or held under water to the point of drowning when such things are happening in this so called civilized world all who truly value human rights must speak up.

Human rights all over the world are,in fact threatened by

1: Excessive concentration of wealth and means of production and distribution and the most extravagant per capita consumption patterns in the so called advanced and developed countries of the worlld.

2: Racial discrimination new economic imperialism and restrictive trade practices.

3: Overt and covert interference by some powers to dictate and determine the national polices and programe of other countries,using nations as pawns in their global aims and for that purpose to prefer military governments without popular base:and

4: The growing and ever increasing gap between affluent developed countries and the poor developing countries of the world.

Pakistan has been the championing the human rights since the days of Quaid-e-Azam and has always looked at it from a broder angle.The Quaid-e-Azam had always played the individual above institutions and had consistently emphasised the need for remarking of man so that an egalitarian society could be ushered in.The human rights movement has been carried forward by the late Dr.Martin Luther King in the U.S.A by Julius Nayerere in Tanzania and many other personalities in Asian,African and Latin American countries of the world.

         The most important pre-requisite for the meaningful realization of human rights,in particular economic ,social mand cultural rights,is independence,territorial integrity and national sovereighnty.No economic or social development could lead to a more egalitarian and just society without  independence,territorial integrity and national sovereignty.Foreign models are not a satisfactory solution to the unique economic ,social ,cultural and political problems of each country . 

               In Pakistan special steps have been taken to protect human rights and to provide better amenities to youth .The preamble of the Pakistan constitution promises to all its citizens justice-social, economic and political;liberty of thought,expression, belief, faith and worship;equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among them fraternity assuring the dignity of all.