‘Human rights violation cases show an upward trend during four years’
Cases of human rights violation have shown an upward trend during the last four years, revealed the report of Human Rights Wing of Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights. “Human rights violation cases including acid burning, domestic violence, murder, rape, kidnapping, sexual assault, harassment, missing persons, torture, target killing, extra judicial killing and killing in police custody have increased during the last four years (2012 to 2015),” says the report submitted by Human Rights Wing of Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights to senate Standing Committee on Law and Human Rights.
According to the report, during the last four years, a total 20,649 cases of human rights violations were reported to human rights wing. Out of 20,649 cases, 4,848 took place in 2012; 4,907 in 2013, 7,372 in 2014 and 3,522 in the ongoing year, it said. Out of 20,649 cases, 492 cases were of acid burning; 1,038 of domestic violence; 1,441 of Karo Kari; 6,613 of murder; 3,284 of kidnapping; 247 of missing persons; 1,012 of rape/gang rape; 260 sexual assault; 526 torture; 2,122 target killing; 245 of extra judicial killing; 127 killing in police custody and 3,233 miscellaneous cases.
The committee, which met with Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi in the chair expressed annoyance over the non-provision of complete detail of human rights violation cases resolved or processed by the Human Rights Wing from 2012 to 2015. The committee directed senior officials of human rights wing of Ministry of law, justice and human rights to present a detailed report regarding the number of cases resolved or processed before the next meeting of the committee.
Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah said that the incomplete report submitted by the human rights wing shows that the main job of the human rights wing is only to collect data of various kinds of human rights violation. “Despite the directives of the committee, the human rights wing only provided number human rights violation instead of providing detail of cases resolved or processed during the last four years,” he said.
Former Justice Muhammad Raza Khan, Special Secretary, Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights, said that the human rights wing has complete the record of human rights cases resolved or processed during the last four years and they would present its detail during the next meeting. A senior official said that following 18th Amendment, the main role of human rights wing co-ordinates with relevant provincial departments regarding human rights violation cases.
About Kasur incident, he said that the human rights wing has compiled a complete report of Kasur incident and also ensured effective coordination with the police. He said that the main function of human rights wing includes the review of human rights situation in the country, coordination of activities of ministries, divisions and provincial governments in respect of human rights and obtaining information, documents and reports on complaints and allegations of human rights violation from ministries, divisions, provincial governments and other agencies.
Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said that the human right has yet not made any serious efforts to inculcate awareness among the public about the mandate of human rights wing. “The human rights wing needs to prepare a website and launch an awareness campaign to register complaints of human rights violations,” she said.
Pervaiz Rashid, Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, said that the human rights wing took the notice of every human right violation in the country but now it has devolved and its role is just limited to coordination. Sarwar Khan, Secretary Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, told the committee that the commission comprises judges of Supreme Court of Pakistan and provincial chief justices. The scarcity of lower courts and administrative affairs is the main hurdles to the dispensation of justice, he said.
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