Tag: human rights

  • Islamabad bar moves to identify lawyers from Ahmadi community

    Islamabad bar moves to identify lawyers from Ahmadi community

    Members of Islamabad Bar Association have been directed to declare their faith on the finality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or face the suspension of their membership, in a move that is drawing strong reactions from both lawyers and the general public.

    According to The Express Tribune, the lawyers’ group has told its members to submit affidavits by the end of the ongoing month, failing which they would have their membership suspended and names posted on noticeboard.

    The notification in this regard comes in view of the decision taken by the General Body on December 6, 2019, while the report has quoted Association President Malik Zafar Khokhar as saying that “the purpose of seeking affidavits was not the suspension of non-Muslim lawyers from the association, but to identify the members of the Ahmadi community”.

    STRONG REACTIONS:

    Meanwhile, lawyers, as well as the general public, are strongly reacting to the notification.

    “Clearly Jinnah’s Pakistan remains a distant dream! His 11th August speech buried in heaps of paranoia, intolerance and bigotry,” tweeted Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who is a member of the association.

    Here’s what others had to say:

    https://twitter.com/theRealYLH/status/1218447461397749761

    https://twitter.com/ShahidQuetta/status/1218287233603641345

    There has been no official reaction to the backlash.

  • On Human Rights Day and In Data: Rape Cases in Punjab

    On Human Rights Day and In Data: Rape Cases in Punjab

    In a report, done by the University College of Lahore, ‘Accountability for Rape: A case study of Lodhran’, the numbers show that rape cases in Punjab were staggeringly high in 2016-2017. The study is thorough and looks at court judgements to show how alleged rapists were acquitted. And a whole lot of them were set free.

    Police submitted reports on more than 7,000 new rape cases during 2016-17, cases that had a verdict were more than 5,800. Out of the ones that were given a verdict, only 216 cases had a conviction.

    The police did its job and submitted reports in more than 7,000 cases but only 216 were convicted.

    The study revealed that major cities had more rape cases, as expected, but what was not expected was the amount of convictions in relation to the cities.

    Lahore tops the list with the most amount of cases and the least amount of convictions

    Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur had the highest number of rape incidents and a very low conviction rate. But

    The highest number of contest acquittals was in Lodhran, which means that when the case went to trial, an acquittal took place when the judge decided that the prosecution had not proved that the defendant was guilty.

    These areas were highlighted because the cases going to court were fewer than larger cities

    The report also showed the cities with the lowest amount of cases with Mianwali and Jhelum topping the list as ‘safer’ cities.

    Cities with the lowest amount of rape cases reported

    Interestingly the study also shows judgments that listed the ‘character’ of the women who were raped.

    How many cases were individual or gang rapes, with individual rapes being the most common type of rape in Punjab.

    79 percent were individual rapes and 16 percent were gang rapes

    The marital status of the women was also documented and most of the women who were raped were married when the incident took place.

    41 percent of the rape victims were married women

    More than half of the incidents that took place involved a man who knew the victim.

  • PTI leader ‘who inserted iron rod into driver’s rectum’ becomes HR focal person

    PTI leader ‘who inserted iron rod into driver’s rectum’ becomes HR focal person

    Mir Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Lund, who allegedly violated his poor driver by inserting an iron rod into his rectum, has been appointed as a human rights focal person by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    According to a Human Rights Ministry notification dated July 10, Minister Shireen Mazari has appointed Lund as a focal person on the issues of human rights in Sindh.

    “He shall assist the office of the federal minister on the issues of human rights while keeping liaison with relevant stakeholders,” the notification read.

    While the appointment is “purely voluntary without the ministry bearing any expenses”, the news has taken social media by storm owing to the gross violation allegedly committed by Lund in April.

    Lawyer and activist Mohammad Jibran Nasir was among the first to point out.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BzyDlAyna1P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    THE ASSAULT:

    As per the details, a van driver named Allah Rakhio was allegedly assaulted and meted out inhumane punishment in Sindh’s Ghotki district on the orders of his employer, Lund, and his three relatives.

    According to the victim’s son, Zahid Hussain Rakhio, his father had a disagreement with Shafiq Lund, following which he was called to Iftikhar’s residence where he was mercilessly beaten up by Shafiq, Rafiq Lund and Mumtaz Ali Lund in Iftikhar’s presence.

    Injured Rakhio called Hussain, who took him to the hospital, where he received eight stitches on his private parts. A video of Rakhio lying on his back on a stretcher and narrating his ordeal was also widely shared over the internet.

    FIR AGAINST LUND:

    A First Information Report (FIR) against Iftikhar, Mumtaz, Shafiq and Rafiq on the victim’s complaint was filed at the Khanpur Mahar police station.

    The FIR was filed under sections 324 (attempt to commit qatle amd), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 143 (punishment for being a member of unlawful assembly).

    Hussain, however, claims that police have not yet made any arrests and are trying to brush the incident under the carpet.

    Picture of the victim published with his consent