It is an occasional occurrence in Hollywood action movies for the authorities to say the following statement before arresting a suspect, ‘You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used against you.’ However, one is not likely to find a Pakistani policeman issuing the same warning as no statement, written or verbal, produced by a suspect in the custody of the Pakistani police is admissible in courts.
The reason being is that the Pakistani police have a habit of forcing out confessions from suspects by use of force. The use of torture, however, is not restricted for the purpose of getting confessions.
It is used as a habitual and systematic way of constructing police superiority; maintaining order; forcing submission; and who knows, exploring various sorts of sadistic leisure activities. The horrific methods and consistency of torture used by the Pakistani police is not only disturbing at a whole new level but also a blatant disregard for fundamental human rights; something our constitution vows to protect.
In 2010, at the Toba Tek Singh district prison, the authorities stripped three prisoners, taped their genitals to prevent them from urinating and forced each to drink three or four litres of water. The tape was removed four hours later, by which time all three had developed renal ailments.
An inquiry was launched against the prison superintendent but he was cleared in no time, apparently at the testimony of others allegedly involved in the torture. Other common torture techniques rampant in Pakistani prisons include ‘falaka’ (whipping feet with a rod); pulling out fingernails with pliers; rubbing red chillies in eye; and a gruesome practice called strapado, where the victim is hung by the wrists from the ceiling until the shoulders dislocate.
It is a shame that these practices continue to exist despite Pakistan signing the UN convention against torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is imperative that tangible measures be taken to stop the inhumane treatment of prisoners in accordance with universally accepted human rights.
ABDUL AHAD AYUB
LUMS, Lahore