Activists urge govt to stop torture
Practice has become endemic amongst police nationwide, they say
Activists say acts of brutality and torture by police and other security personnel must end
- ucanews.com reporter, Lahore
- Pakistan
- June 27, 2012
A delegation of rights activists yesterday called on the government to sign the optional protocol to the UN Convention against Torture during a meeting with senior police officials in Punjab province.
Members of the Anti-torture Alliance-Pakistan met Haji Habib-ur-Rehmam, inspector-general of police in Punjab and his assistant to protest what they said was a rise in cases of torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
The meeting was part of wider efforts to commemorate the International Day against Torture.
“Torture in custody is used as the most common method to obtain confessional statements,” said Samson Salamat, a member of the alliance.
“It has become endemic and on many occasions the police have tortured people in public places to create fear.”
Salamat added that extrajudicial killings of journalists and rights workers have also become a chronic problem, particularly in Balochistan province.
“Police and other law enforcement agencies are running detention and torture centers in almost every city in the country,” he said.
Pakistan became a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture in 2008 but has yet to sign the optional protocol, which establishes a system for the inspection of places of detention by international monitors.
According to the latest report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), one person was killed in an encounter with police every 26 hours last year.
Also last year, at least 254 police encounters took place in which 337 suspects were killed and 71 were injured, according to the HRCP.
Related reports
Activists demand custody deaths probe
Members of the Anti-torture Alliance-Pakistan met Haji Habib-ur-Rehmam, inspector-general of police in Punjab and his assistant to protest what they said was a rise in cases of torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
The meeting was part of wider efforts to commemorate the International Day against Torture.
“Torture in custody is used as the most common method to obtain confessional statements,” said Samson Salamat, a member of the alliance.
“It has become endemic and on many occasions the police have tortured people in public places to create fear.”
Salamat added that extrajudicial killings of journalists and rights workers have also become a chronic problem, particularly in Balochistan province.
“Police and other law enforcement agencies are running detention and torture centers in almost every city in the country,” he said.
Pakistan became a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture in 2008 but has yet to sign the optional protocol, which establishes a system for the inspection of places of detention by international monitors.
According to the latest report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), one person was killed in an encounter with police every 26 hours last year.
Also last year, at least 254 police encounters took place in which 337 suspects were killed and 71 were injured, according to the HRCP.
Related reports
Activists demand custody deaths probe
