Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch addressing her weekly press briefing in Islamabad, on June 8, 2023, in this still taken from a video. — Facebookforeignofficepk

FO rejects rights abuse allegations

by Pakistan News
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Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch addressing her weekly press briefing in Islamabad, on June 8, 2023, in this still taken from a video. — Facebookforeignofficepk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Thursday rejected allegations levelled against it for violating the rights of people who are imprisoned and are under trial for the violent riots on May 9 — also dubbed as the “Black Day”.

International organisations and US congressmen have called on Pakistan to respect the basic human rights of prisoners.

The demand came after the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — whose workers were involved in the May 9 attacks — lobbied lawmakers in the US for condemning the authorities’ action against its workers.

The PTI also claimed that its women workers were being harassed in prisons, but a committee formed to review their conditions denied the allegations. PTI’s women workers themselves also said that they were not harassed whilst behind bars.

“Pakistan is a country that runs in line with the Constitution and law. Human rights of all of the citizens in Pakistan are ensured,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during her weekly press conference.

“Pakistan is complying with all the local laws and international commitments. The allegations against Pakistan for violating human rights are unfounded,” the spokesperson said.

She said that the characters involved in the events of May 9 are being brought to justice according to the law.

When asked about famed fashion designer Khadija Shah — a prime suspect in the attack on the Coprs Commander House and a dual national — Baloch said that the US Embassy had requested consular access which was granted.

“Those involved in riots are being treated according to the Constitution and law.”

Army rebuts claims

It is important to note that the Pakistan Army has also rejected such allegations and said that action is being taken on the basis of “irrefutable evidence”.

“Unfounded and baseless allegations on Law Enforcement Agencies and Security Forces for custodial torture, human rights abuses and stifling of political activities are meant to mislead the people and malign Armed Forces in order to achieve trivial vested political interests,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement after the conclusion of Formation Commanders Conference at the GHQ, Rawalpindi.

The forum while condemning the 9th May Black Day incidents in the strictest sense reiterated their firm resolve that desecrators of Shuhada Monuments, Jinnah House and attackers of military installations would certainly be brought to justice speedily under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act which are the derivatives of the Constitution.

“In this regard, efforts to create distortions and attempts to take refuge behind imaginary and mirage Human Rights Violations to create smoke screen for hiding the ugly faces of all involved, are absolutely futile and do not stand the abundantly collected irrefutable evidences.”


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