HRCP alarmed by death of fourth GHQ attack suspect

HRCP alarmed by death of fourth GHQ attack suspect

Lahore: (Tuesday, January 24, 2012) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed alarm at reports that the dead body of yet another person who had been detained for suspected involvement in an attack on the military
headquarters has been found.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Commission said: “HRCP notes with serious concern that with the recovery of Abdul Saboor’s body in Peshawar late last week, four of the 11 persons held on charges of involvement in the GHQ
attack have now turned up dead. Their families had earlier spoken of the detained men being tortured and apprehended that they would be killed. The plight of the families of the four men killed and the seven who are believed to be alive, at least for now,
is similar to hundreds of others who have been devastated by enforced disappearances by agents of the state across the country.

“HRCP must reiterate that charges of involvement in acts of terrorism, irrespective of their veracity or seriousness, do not deprive those accused of their due process rights. HRCP is also of the firm opinion that instances such
as these offer opportunities to the state to distinguish itself by showing deference to rule of law. It is exceedingly unfortunate to find yet more evidence that that opinion is not always shared by agents of the state.

“HRCP demands that the government must not wait for the aggrieved families to lodge petitions before it decides to look into the killings. A probe into the alleged torture of the four persons and the circumstances of their death
must immediately be launched to the satisfaction of the victims’ families and must proceed to identify and punish their tormentors. The government must also make sure that the survivors are not treated in a similar manner. It is also hoped that the government
will make recovery of all missing persons its top priority and promptly put an end to enforced disappearances that make a mockery of justice, due process and human rights.”

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Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen on Jan 24 2012. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry