“Violence against women cannot be tolerated, in any form, in any context, in any circumstances, by any political leader or by any government. There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable, never tolerable,” thus stated UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
A year ago, the Pakistani police subjected to intense baton charge families of victims of enforced disappearance who were on a peaceful protest sit-in urging the government to surface all the disappeared and to bring to justice all those responsible for the abduction. Many of those beaten were wives and children of the disappeared. They were herded to and detained in the police station.
Amina Masood Janjua, wife of disappeared Mr. Masood Janjua and chairperson of the Defence of Human Rights, were among those beaten and detained. Her husband, Masood Janjua, was forcibly disappeared on 30 July 2005, allegedly abducted by state security forces. He remains disappeared up to this day.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) strongly condemns the police for inflicting violence on the protesting families of the disappeared. It’s an appalling human rights violation perpetrated against citizens crying for truth and justice for their disappeared love ones.
AFAD reminds the Government of Pakistan that as a member of the United Nations it has the moral obligation to promote, protect and fulfill the rights and freedoms of its citizens. Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that, “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.” Furthermore, Article 20 of the UDHR guarantees everyone’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Amina Masood Janjua was in a peaceful protest and therefore, the violence inflicted on her and her colleagues by the police who is supposed to guard the safety of the Pakistani citizens, is intolerable. The authorities are adding salt to the wounds of anguish to the families of the disappeared who, for a long time, have been searching for their disappeared love ones, crying for truth and justice. The Pakistani police violated the rights of the victims to peaceful assembly and protest to air their grievances to the government.
The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is the right to gather publicly or privately and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests. This right includes the right to participate in peaceful assemblies, meetings, protests, strikes, sit-ins, demonstrations and other temporary gatherings for a specific purpose or cause. States not only have an obligation to protect peaceful assemblies, but should also take measures to facilitate them.
This right is also enshrined in Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and other international and regional instruments. The ICCPR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966 Covenant was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1966 and came into force in 1976. As of December 2013, 167 countries have ratified the Covenant.
On 17 April 2008, the Government of Pakistan signed ICCPR, and ratified it on June 23, 2010 with certain reservations. At the time of ratification, Pakistan expressed reservations on articles 3, 6, 7, 12, 13, 18, 19, 25 and 40 of the Convention. The international community raised the question on Pakistan’s reservations and whether it is complying with international law.
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances calls for justice to Amina Masood and her colleagues and urges the Government of Pakistan to sign and ratify the United Nations International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances and to enact legislation criminalizing enforced disappearance to put an end to this impunity which is the cruelest form of human rights violation, a crime against humanity.
The Government of Pakistan should conduct investigations on cases of disappearance and bring to justice all those responsible, and put closure to the agony of uncertainty to the surviving families of the disappeared. The Government should provide reparation and psychosocial assistance to the families, especially to wives of victims of the disappeared most adversely impacted, since the burden of bringing up their respective families rest on their shoulders, especially the welfare and education of children.
More and more leaders around the world are joining the struggle on violence against women, and more and more individuals understand that any abuse of any woman is intolerable. Women are to be nurtured with love and care, instead of being violated of their rights. After all, they bring forth and nurture life into this world.
Signed and authenticated by:
KHURRAM PARVEZ
Chairperson
MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO
Secretary-General