International human rights body the Amnesty International (AI) has come out in the open support of Pakistani lawyers who are demanding restoration of deposed judiciary. Launching the AIs 2008 Report here last evening, AI Secretary-General Irene Khan told reporters, We are calling for not only the reinstatement of deposed judges but also the establishment of an independent judiciary.
London, May 29 : International human rights body the Amnesty International (AI) has come out in the open support of Pakistani lawyers who are demanding restoration of deposed judiciary. Launching the AI's 2008 Report here last evening, AI Secretary-General Irene Khan told reporters, "We are calling for not only the reinstatement of deposed judges but also the establishment of an independent judiciary."
She said the AI supported the ongoing movement of the bar and the bench in Pakistan and regarded the march of the 'black coats' on the streets for establishing the rule of law a "positive development".
The AI Report said that last year thousands of lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and political workers were arbitrarily detained in Pakistan.
"The independence of the judiciary was curbed. Some victims of forced disappearance reappeared but hundreds remained missing. Honour killings and resort to jirgas continued," the Dawn quoted her as saying in an interview.
She said that AI had reasons to believe there were very serious allegations that terror suspects had been tortured, ill-treated by Pakistani intelligence agencies and interrogated by western governments.
"And, that means the western governments were aware that these people were being tortured when they were being interrogated. We have raised our concerns with the UK authorities on a couple of cases and we believe there are others but I can't name them because some of those cases are currently in the courts here.
But certainly we have cases where dual nationals, Pakistani British citizens or British citizens were arrested, were detained illegally in Pakistan, ill-treated or tortured and may then have a contact with the British intelligence people too," said the AI Secretary-General.
ANI