Pakistan continues to face many crises, one of which remains rising militancy. In response to this and also to demands by Pakistan’s close friend and ally, China, the federal government announced a new anti-militancy operation –Azm-e-Istehkam. This is not the first such operation, and will most likely not be the last because until and unless the military establishment breaks ties with all jihadi groups, Pakistanis will unfortunately keep paying the price.
In a recent statement, Pakistan’s leading human rights watchdog, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) noted that “while there is no question that the state must deal urgently with deteriorating law and order and poor security across the country, HRCP is concerned by the lack of transparency surrounding this measure. The state must not forget that such measures are as much political as they are security-driven. Accordingly, Parliament must deliberate on this operation carefully and transparently, taking into account the concerns of the entire political spectrum as far as possible.”
HRCP’s greatest concern “is the potentially adverse impact this measure could have on ordinary citizens, many of whom include families who were displaced by earlier security operations and have yet to be compensated or rehabilitated. Any realistic approach to countering militancy should not lose sight of the rights of all people affected. This operation must not therefore be used to justify further enforced disappearances, the use of internment centres or military courts, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests or custodial torture.”
