2007, the worst year in the history of human rights in Pakistan
ICC Note: The deterioration of the ability of the Pakistani government to protect its own people in 2007 is even worse news for the Christians, who are the last people that the government would protect even if it was able to do so.
by Qaiser Felix
4/11/08 Lahore (AsiaNews/HRCP) – The report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls 2007 the worst year in Pakistan’s history. Last year, in fact, the country “was only half alive”, and this reduced its ability – which has never been very strong – to guarantee the rights of the people. The interior ministry has furthermore confirmed the data of the HRCP, which show a 20% increase of criminality all over the country compared to 2006.
The long and detailed report says that at least 927 people were killed in 71 suicide bombings, surpassing even the numbers in Iraq, even though the latter country was in the thick of war. Sectarian violence caused the death of 580 people, and another 1,120 were wounded. The militants, entrenched in the northwestern provinces and in the tribal areas, took possession of many of the cities, in which they put their version of sharia law into practice. Schoolgirls and music stores were among their main targets, and the religious minorities did not have many alternatives: they could convert to Islam, or be driven out… [Go To Full Story]
