Information minister says Taliban have accepted responsibility to search militants involved in acts of terrorism
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Friday said that the democratic government was committed to the protection of human dignity through legislation on torture.
He was addressing the inaugural session of the three-day Regional Conference on Torture, held under the auspices of Democratic Commission for Human Development (DCHD) at a local hotel.
The minister said the Constitution of Pakistan ensured freedom from torture and all kinds of inhuman treatment, adding that Pakistan had ratified all international conventions on human rights. He said police torture was a reality, and the police used it to extract confessional statements from the detainees. Making torture a criminal offence would help check the menace, he added. He said that all possible administrative measures would be taken to implement the measures against torture.
Pervaiz Rashid said he was fully aware of the sensitivity of the problem as a political worker. He said he himself and scores of political workers had to face worst torture under the dictatorial regimes. He stressed the need to create public awareness on the issues of rising torture and ill treatment, adding that the government would take a lead from the recommendations of the conference on torture.
Earlier, eminent human rights activist Hina Jilani, Prof Ijaz Khattak and DCHD country head spoke on the various aspects of the menace.
The conference was being attended by delegates from India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Tajikstan. It would discuss the situation in other regional countries as well.
TALIBAN ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY:
Separately, the information minister told the media that Taliban had accepted the responsibility to search the militants who were involved in recent acts of terrorism in the country.
He said that the government wanted peace in the country without bloodshed and this goal will be achieved by the government. He said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was the focal person and it would be appropriate to let him concentrate on this important task. He said so far the negotiation committees have not decided on the venue of negotiations. However he said everyone should hope for good results from the dialogue process.
About the grant of $ 1.5 billion to Pakistan by the friends of Pakistan, the information minister said it was not for the first time that a friendly country has helped Pakistan. He said in the past as well Pakistan received similar help. However, he said it would be better not to politicize it or take in a way that hurt the sentiments of our friends abroad.
Pervaiz Rashid said that the government has made it known that the process of appointment of heads of national institutions would be completed in 30 days. He said judiciary is completely free and independent in the country but pointed out that courts are part of the country and all the institutions work collectively for the good of the country.
