{"id":6480,"date":"2017-08-30T10:54:08","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T10:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/?p=6480"},"modified":"2021-12-15T10:55:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T10:55:19","slug":"time-to-rid-pakistan-of-disappearances-is-now-hrcp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrcp-web.org\/hrcpweb\/time-to-rid-pakistan-of-disappearances-is-now-hrcp\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to rid Pakistan of disappearances is now: HRCP"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lahore<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>, August 30:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0It was high time\u00a0Pakistan<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0took robust measures to end the illegal practice of enforced disappearance and brought to justice the perpetrators, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a statement released to the media, HRCP said: \u201cInternational Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, August 30, holds particular relevance to\u00a0<\/span>Pakistan\u00a0since the phenomenon euphemistically called the missing persons issue is well entrenched in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe day serves to remind us that despite a large number of \u2018disappearances\u2019 coming to light, not a single person has been held to account for perpetrating such heinous actions. It is a matter of equally grave concern that disappearances continue in<\/span>Pakistan\u00a0today, as is apparent from the information released by the officially constituted Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (CIED).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a wide range in estimates of the overall number of cases. But even taking the most conservative estimates, a significant number of disappearances remain unresolved in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cases reported to the CIED also demonstrate that the incidence is truly nationwide, having spread to areas where it had not been reported from earlier, including Sindh, where political activists have largely been targeted. In Sindh, those campaigning against disappearance are now themselves becoming victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn\u00a0Punjab\u00a0too, Zeenat Shahzadi, who raised her voice for disappearance victims became one herself. She remains missing two years after being picked up from near her house in\u00a0Lahore\u00a0in August 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cHRCP regrets that the government of\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0has not implemented the recommendations made by the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) after its visit to\u00a0Pakistan\u00a0in 2012 and subsequently as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn its second Universal Periodic Review, the Government of Pakistan had accepted a recommendation (122.20) to specifically criminalize enforced disappearances. However, no concrete steps have been taken so far to make disappearances a distinct and autonomous crime. Criminal complaints in cases of disappearances, where registered by the police, continue to be filed under general criminal law provisions related to abductions, kidnapping or wrongful confinement. Other recommendations accepted by\u00a0<\/span>Pakistan, but not implemented, include strengthening of the CIED and bringing the perpetrators to justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe call upon the government to implement, without any further delay, all the WGEID recommendations and the promisesPakistan\u00a0made during the UPR process, particularly with respect to disappearances.<\/p>\n

\u201cHRCP calls upon the prime minister to take all necessary steps to Implement all of the WGEID recommendations and the relevant recommendations accepted by Pakistan in its UPR, and particularly urges him to:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Make enforced disappearance a distinct and autonomous crime under the criminal law.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Order all state agencies to cooperate in the recovery of all missing persons and desist from abducting citizens, keeping them in secret detention or killing them and dumping their dead bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0End the widespread impunity for enforced disappearance. The earliest possible start of proceedings against any state functionaries involved would contribute to giving the people some hope of getting justice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ratify the\u00a0International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Arrange payment of compensation for families of the missing persons that have been suffering for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ensure the government desists from making laws that have the impact of legalizing forms of secret, unacknowledged, and incommunicado detention.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEnforced disappearances are an affront to the universally held principles of the rule of law, have no place in a civilized society, have brought a bad name to the country and must be discontinued at once.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Mehdi Hasan<\/b><\/p>\n

Chairperson<\/span><\/p>\n

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