Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: US report

To be honest if I were head of PPP, I would have never opted to work under military chief and CJ. I would have let ganga be again PM or President of Pakistan. Accordint to this report Pakistan government is impotent before military head. It is a shame, what kind of democracy is this? This PPP government is just a buffer to absorb all kinds of human violations and ill actions by military. That is absolute nonsense.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/08/culture-of-impunity-in-pakistan-us-report.html

Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: US report

WASHINGTON: A US report said Friday that Pakistan had a “culture of impunity” on human rights abuses and stated that security forces were operating outside the control of the civilian government.

An annual State Department survey on human rights reported widespread concerns in Pakistan, a key US war partner, including violence against women, child labor, corruption and discrimination against religious minorities.

The report said Pakistan had not held anyone accountable for a 2009 incident, shown in a leaked video, in which men in military uniforms shot dead six young men who were lined up and blindfolded with hands behind their backs.

“A failure to credibly investigate allegations, impose disciplinary or accountability measures and consistently prosecute those responsible for abuses contributed to a culture of impunity,” the report said.

Pakistan in 2008 ended a decade of military-backed rule, with civilian Asif Ali Zardari becoming president. But the State Department report was blunt about the persistent power of the armed forces.

“Security forces did not report to civilian authorities and operated independently from the civilian government,” it said.

The report took note of government efforts to improve human rights, including a new law against sexual harassment and the allocation of reserved seats in parliament for religious minorities.

But the report said that women spoke of rape in custody, with few perpetrators held to account, and said that women and girls were often subjected to abuse or “honor killings” as part of family disputes.
“Women often were treated as the property or goods of their families, and perpetrators were often husbands and other male family members,” it said.

The report said that religious minorities, namely Christians and members of the Ahmadiyya movement, were more likely to suffer abuse in prison and reported cases of torture in custody.

Re: Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: US report

I agree with some parts, most notably not working under orders from the Army Chief, provided the PPP top brass was properly appointed and not a bunch of criminals. Secondly, the Chief Justice is doing his job, no need to put him in the same boat as the Army Chief's dictation.

Re: Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: US report

I don't think that it is do with PPP top brass. Military would have behaved the same way as they are behaving now. Raymond Davis case is a real proof of that. Unless some drastic changes are taken in the military setup, nothing is going to change. It appears that this government came to power with cerain condtions are proving detrimental to democratic setup. It will be pain in the @$$ for future governments too. The hotch potch system dictated by Sam and military will continue, wheather it is IK, JI or PML(N) etc. The B party of estabilishment, mqm will side who so ever comes to power by changing their loyalities, to continue their perpetual rule with the moto, "utay utay khai jao, te whicho wich rola pai jao".

CJ has interfered with the adminintration and passed certain order beyond its jurisdiction, which is not a good sign.

Re: Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: US report

unless the military is removed from all aspects of activity other than national defense and made to really hardline report into the civilian executive, the vicious cycle of inept executive and intrusive military can never be resolved. Solve this and the religious extremism issues will get de-fanged as a result.