• Claims US report endorses party’s contentions
• Asks CJP to step down

ISLAMABAD: Claiming that the US State Department’s report on human rights in Pakistan substantiated PTI’s submissions and contentions after the regime change, the party on Saturday alleged that “lawlessness and fascism” pervaded in the country during the past two years.

Addressing a press conference along with PTI Senator Walid Iqbal and Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi, party’s central information secretary Raoof Hasan said the US 2023 Country Report highlighted serious human rights violations in Pakistan, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, lack of fair trial, disappearance of journalists, serious restrictions on internet freedom, substantial interference in the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, torture and inhumane treatment with a lack of accountability.

He alleged that a culture of lawlessness pervaded in the country as people’s freedom, dignity and respect and sanctity of four walls were not safe from “state goons”. Mr Hasan went on to say that there were two powers in the country: one could be seen but was “powerless and a dummy”, while the other was unseen but it held actual power and was working like shadow.

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The PTI leader lamented that there was a “de facto martial law” in the country and only the orders of “shadow powers” were being implemented and no one could challenge them.

He said judges should find remedy to the deeply rooted malady in the country instead of shying away of their constitutional obligations. He asked Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to fulfil his legal and constitutional obligations to rein in the “reign of tyranny” or else leave the position instantly.

“The CJP should perform his duty lawfully and should not act like a bystander and fix the long-delayed PTI’s various petitions for hearing and ensure rule of law or else leave the office,” he said.

Senator Walid Iqbal said the US report was very important because it covered the entire period after the “regime change”, adding that it was a damning assessment on the performance of the PDM government, caretaker set-up and ‘unseen power-wielders’.

He said the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the newly established United Nations on Dec 10, 1948, which set some minimum standards covering human dignity, privacy, freedom and sanctity of four walls that were also included in Pakistan’s constitution.

However, he regretted, out of the 100 pages, 50 pages of the US report contained human rights violations, dignity and abuses with a special mention of PTI leaders and workers who were subjected to custodial torture.

Mr Iqbal said the report also mentioned instances wherein police without having warrants unlawfully raided the houses of PTI leaders and supporters stole precious items.

Advocate Niazi said the US report summarised the widespread and rampant human rights abuses and constitutional violation instances in the country, which substantiated all their submissions and contentions after the regime change.

He alleged that there was no rule of law and the Constitution was sacrificed, besides compromising judicial independence.

He said extrajudicial killings were rampant in the country and rights to privacy, dignity and information and freedom of expression were violated with impunity.

Mr Niazi lamented that the PTI was even denied the right to peaceful assembly because it was not a democracy, but a “fascist regime”, which did not have any regard and respect for the Constitution and law.

He revealed that around 700 MPOs (Maintenance of Public Order) were issued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 222 in Punjab against the PTI leaders and supporters, but only IHC’s Justice Babar Sattar took a stand against such order.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2024