News
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Amnesty petitions Pakistan over disappearances
ISLAMABAD: The Amnesty International has called on Pakistan’s government to end what it calls the growing practice of disappearances enforced by the state. In an August 29 petition on its website, the human rights group alleged the disappearances have increased dramatically since Pakistan joined the American war on terrorism after the September 11, 2001 airliner attacks on the United States. Those detained - including activists, journalists and students - are sometimes found dead, with signs of torture. Thousands may have fallen victim to the practice, Amnesty said. Amnesty said a judicial commission of enquiry on the so-called enforced disappearances “had failed to resolve the crisis.” “The prime minister of Pakistan, who controls the security agencies, needs to urgently step in to address this human rights situation,” Amnesty said on its website. It noted that enforced disappearances occur frequently in Balochistan. The province has been facing a low-level insurgency by nationalists who want more control over its natural resources, which they say are unfairly exploited by the federal government. reuters
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk