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oot cause of the problem must be identified and addressed. Instead of living
in denial, we must now identify the policies that strengthen extremism and
promote faith-based hatred in society. These constitute the single biggest threat
to Pakistan. In these perilous times, all those who believe in people’s rights,
human dignity and Pakistan’s future must not remain silent. Otherwise the
consequences for the country will be unimaginably disastrous.”
Minorities
June 5: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay met
with members of the religious minority communities and exchanged views
with a gathering of civil society organisations’ representatives, lawyers and
journalists. The high commissioner briefly explained her mission to the civil
society representatives but reserved her comments until the end of her visit to
Pakistan when she will offer a more comprehensive response. Representatives
of minority communities raised the issues of discrimination, problems faced
on account of the blasphemy law and discrimination in services and education.
The civil society organisations raised issues of militancy, shrinking writ of the
state, lack of security for journalists and human rights defenders, the freedom
allowed to militants, the state of education, rise of extremism and intolerance
among young people and children and the civil society’s concerns over the
alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
June 29: The latest killing of Shia pilgrims in Balochistan again demonstrated
that terrorists persisted with their vicious and systematic campaign to target
citizens on account of their religious belief as the state remained either unwilling
or increasingly unable to prevent the killings, HRCP said. It said that after the
attack on a bus of Iran-bound pilgrims in Mastung district of Balochistan last
year, it was certain that unless the culprits were brought to justice they would
strike again. This time the bus also had a police escort and yet neither the
attack could be foiled nor perpetrators captured. HRCP said: “The number of
Shias killed in systemic and targeted attacks in Balochistan in 2012 alone has
exceeded 60. Everyone knows who the perpetrators are. With each attack,
allegations of the attackers enjoying sympathy and support among the security
forces gain more credence, at least in the views of the targeted community...
HRCP unequivocally condemns the attack and is shocked by the authorities’
inability or unwillingness to act against terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which
has repeatedly claimed responsibility for these attacks. The promised probe
into the attack must also look into charges of support for the terrorists among
the security agencies. It has also been alleged that the Iran-bound pilgrims
targeted on Thursday were originally sitting in various buses but the authorities
asked them all to go in one bus, which was later targeted. Some members of
the community have interpreted that as proof of at least some elements in the
law enforcement agencies working hand in glove with the terrorists. HRCP
cannot vouch for the veracity of this claim but that too should be investigated.
The government should try and imagine the plight of the community whose
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State of Human Rights in 2012