DOCSLIB.ORG

Country of Origin Information Report: Pakistan June 2008

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Country of Origin Information Report: Pakistan June 2008 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT PAKISTAN 30 JULY 2008 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE PAKISTAN 30 JULY 2008 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN PAKISTAN FROM 12 JULY 2008 TO 30 JULY 2008 REPORTS ON PAKISTAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 12 JULY 2008 AND 30 JULY 2008 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ..................................................................... 4.01 Political Events in 2007 to present ............................................. 4.01 State of emergency (3 November to 15 December 2007) ......... 4.07 The assassination of Benazir Bhutto ......................................... 4.13 Parliamentary elections and the new government..................... 4.14 Militant activity ............................................................................. 4.23 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Federal Legislature .................................................................... 6.01 Provincial Governments............................................................. 6.03 “Azad” Kashmir............................................................................ 6.05 Line of Control ........................................................................... 6.07 Current situation ........................................................................ 6.09 Northern areas.............................................................................. 6.11 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ........................................................................... 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................... 9.01 Police............................................................................................. 9.01 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 9.09 Torture ....................................................................................... 9.12 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 9.16 Armed forces ................................................................................ 9.17 Other government forces ............................................................ 9.20 Intelligence agencies ................................................................. 9.20 10. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................. 10.01 11. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.01 Shariat Courts (Islamic Law)...................................................... 11.08 Anti-Terrorism Act and Courts ................................................... 11.10 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ....................................... 11.13 Military Courts and the Army Act ............................................... 11.16 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 30 July 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 30 JULY 2008 PAKISTAN Federally Administered Tribal Areas.......................................... 11.19 Tribal Justice System................................................................. 11.20 Independence and Fair trial......................................................... 11.28 Double jeopardy......................................................................... 11.33 Penal Code.................................................................................... 11.35 Text of the Penal Code .............................................................. 11.35 Qisas and Diyat Ordinances ...................................................... 11.36 Blasphemy laws......................................................................... 11.39 Hudood Ordinances................................................................... 11.40 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS......................................... 12.01 13. PRISON CONDITIONS.......................................................................... 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY................................................................................ 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION...................................................................... 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.01 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.05 Lawyers ..................................................................................... 15.08 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA...................................................... 16.01 Journalists .................................................................................... 16.08 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ......... 17.01 18. CORRUPTION ..................................................................................... 18.01 Fraudulent documents ............................................................... 18.03 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION ......................................................................19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Demography .............................................................................. 19.06 Constitution and Legislation....................................................... 19.08 Blasphemy Laws........................................................................ 19.09 Hudood Ordinances................................................................... 19.18 Anti-Terrorist Laws..................................................................... 19.21 Apostasy .................................................................................... 19.22 Provincial Law – North West Frontier Province ......................... 19.24 Inter-faith marriage....................................................................... 19.26 Fatwa ............................................................................................. 19.29 Voting rights ................................................................................. 19.38 Ahmadis ........................................................................................ 19.42 Background................................................................................ 19.42 Demography and distribution..................................................... 19.45 Legislation discriminating against Ahmadis ............................... 19.47 Passports and ID cards ............................................................. 19.51 Bai’at.......................................................................................... 19.53 Khatme Nabuwaat ..................................................................... 19.54 Current situation ........................................................................ 19.57 Societal discrimination ............................................................... 19.71 Christians...................................................................................... 19.75 Demography .............................................................................. 19.75 Current situation ........................................................................ 19.76 Shi’a and Sunni Muslims ............................................................. 19.84 Background................................................................................ 19.84 Demography .............................................................................. 19.86 Sectarian violence ..................................................................... 19.88 20. ETHNIC GROUPS................................................................................ 20.01 Mohajirs......................................................................................... 20.05 Background................................................................................ 20.05 Formation of MQM..................................................................... 20.06 Current situation ........................................................................ 20.09 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 30 July 2008. Older iii source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. PAKISTAN 30 JULY 2008 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS ................... 21.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 21.01 Government and societal attitudes ...........................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download Article
    Pakistan’s ‘Mainstreaming’ Jihadis Vinay Kaura, Aparna Pande The emergence of the religious right-wing as a formidable political force in Pakistan seems to be an outcome of direct and indirect patron- age of the dominant military over the years. Ever since the creation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1947, the military establishment has formed a quasi alliance with the conservative religious elements who define a strongly Islamic identity for the country. The alliance has provided Islamism with regional perspectives and encouraged it to exploit the concept of jihad. This trend found its most obvious man- ifestation through the Afghan War. Due to the centrality of Islam in Pakistan’s national identity, secular leaders and groups find it extreme- ly difficult to create a national consensus against groups that describe themselves as soldiers of Islam. Using two case studies, the article ar- gues that political survival of both the military and the radical Islamist parties is based on their tacit understanding. It contends that without de-radicalisation of jihadis, the efforts to ‘mainstream’ them through the electoral process have huge implications for Pakistan’s political sys- tem as well as for prospects of regional peace. Keywords: Islamist, Jihadist, Red Mosque, Taliban, blasphemy, ISI, TLP, Musharraf, Afghanistan Introduction In the last two decades, the relationship between the Islamic faith and political power has emerged as an interesting field of political anal- ysis. Particularly after the revival of the Taliban and the rise of ISIS, Author. Article. Central European Journal of International and Security Studies 14, no. 4: 51–73.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Nationalism, State Formation and Legal Representations of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan
    Politics of Exclusion: Muslim Nationalism, State Formation and Legal Representations of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan by Sadia Saeed A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology) in The University of Michigan 2010 Doctoral Committee: Professor George P. Steinmetz, Chair Professor Howard A. Kimeldorf Associate Professor Fatma Muge Gocek Associate Professor Genevieve Zubrzycki Professor Mamadou Diouf, Columbia University © Sadia Saeed 2010 2 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my parents with my deepest love, respect and gratitude for the innumerable ways they have supported my work and choices. ii Acknowledgements I would like to begin by acknowledging the immense support my parents have given me every step of the way during my (near) decade in graduate school. I have dedicated this dissertation to them. My ammi and baba have always believed in my capabilities to accomplish not only this dissertation but much more in life and their words of love and encouragement have continuously given me the strength and the will to give my research my very best. My father‘s great enthusiasm for this project, his intellectual input and his practical help and advice during the fieldwork of this project have been formative to this project. I would like to thank my dissertation advisor George Steinmetz for the many engaged conversations about theory and methods, for always pushing me to take my work to the next level and above all for teaching me to recognize and avoid sloppiness, caricatures and short-cuts. It is to him that I owe my greatest intellectual debt.
    [Show full text]
  • Pakistan Page 1 of 16
    Pakistan Page 1 of 16 2005 Human Rights Report Released | Daily Press Briefing | Other News... Pakistan Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 8, 2006 Pakistan is a federal republic with a population of approximately 163 million. The head of state is President and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf who assumed power after overthrowing the civilian government in 1999. The head of government is Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, whom the national assembly elected over opposition parties' objections in 2004. Domestic and international observers found the 2002national assembly elections, the most recent national elections, deeply flawed. The civilian authorities maintained control of the security forces; however, there were instances when local police acted independently of government authority. The government's human rights record was poor, and serious problems remained. The following human rights problems were reported: restrictions on citizens' right to change their government extrajudicial killings, torture, and rape poor prison conditions, arbitrary arrest, and lengthy pretrial detention violations of due process and privacy rights lack of judicial independence harassment, intimidation, and arrest of journalists limits on freedom of association, religion, and movement imprisonment of political leaders corruption legal and societal discrimination against women child abuse trafficking in women and children, and child prostitution discrimination against persons with disabilities indentured, bonded, and child labor restriction of worker rights The government took significant steps to combat trafficking in persons. Its Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU) was fully functional and resulted in increased arrests and prosecutions of human traffickers. Cooperative efforts between the military, ATU, and international organizations prevented any increase in human trafficking resulting from the October 8 earthquake.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright by Gwendolyn Sarah Kirk 2016
    Copyright by Gwendolyn Sarah Kirk 2016 The Dissertation committee for Gwendolyn Sarah Kirk certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Uncivilized language and aesthetic exclusion: Language, power and film production in Pakistan Committee: _____________________________ Craig Campbell, Co-Supervisor _____________________________ Elizabeth Keating, Co-Supervisor _____________________________ Kamran Ali _____________________________ Patience Epps _____________________________ Ali Khan _____________________________ Kathleen Stewart _____________________________ Anthony Webster Uncivilized language and aesthetic exclusion: Language, power and film production in Pakistan by Gwendolyn Sarah Kirk, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December 2016 To my parents Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible first and foremost without the kindness and generosity of the filmmakers I worked with at Evernew Studio. Parvez Rana, Hassan Askari, Z.A. Zulfi, Pappu Samrat, Syed Noor, Babar Butt, and literally everyone else I met in the film industry were welcoming and hospitable beyond what I ever could have hoped or imagined. The cast and crew of Sharabi, in particular, went above and beyond to facilitate my research and make sure I was at all times comfortable and safe and had answers to whatever stupid questions I was asking that day! Along with their kindness, I was privileged to witness their industry, creativity, and perseverance, and I will be eternally inspired by and grateful to them. My committee might seem large at seven members, but all of them have been incredibly helpful and supportive throughout my time in graduate school, and each of them have helped develop different dimensions of this work.
    [Show full text]
  • March 20, 2008 the Free-Content News Source That You Can Write! Page 1
    March 20, 2008 The free-content news source that you can write! Page 1 Top Stories Top Stories Wikipedia Current Events Zenit rocket launches that "removing Saddam Hussein such autonomy...which could be DirecTV-11 satellite from power was the right decision seen as a move towards A Ukranian-built Zenit-3SL rocket — and this is a fight America can independence." The Foreign has had a and must win." The speech Ministry also linked the events in successful lift-off marked five years since the start Tibet with the declaration of from a Norwegian of the Iraq War. independence by Kosovo, launch platform to showing a growing movement of carry a groups seeking independence. communications •The Parliament of Pakistan elects satellite for DirecTV Wikinews interviews author Fahmida Mirza as its first female into orbit. and filmmaker John Gaspard speaker. Launching at Author and filmmaker John 22:47:59 (UTC) yesterday Gaspard spoke with Wikinews on evening, the mission marked the his three low budget feature films Hubble detects methane on 13th orbital launch of 2008 and and books. He told us how he distant planet the 25th commercial launch to be was able to make his latest NASA's Hubble Space Telescope conducted by the international movie, Grown Men, for under has detected methane in the Sea Launch consortium. $13,000 and how his popular atmosphere of a planet 63 light- book, Digital Filmmaking 101, years away, marking the first Three of Serbia's neighbors came to be. He even had a few discovery of an organic compound recognize Kosovo tips for the amateur filmmakers on a planet outside our Solar Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary, all reading this.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Baradari Affiliation on Electoral Contests for Power in Khushab District (1982-2008)
    Muhammad Waris Awan* Impact of Baradari Affiliation on Electoral Contests for Power in Khushab District (1982-2008) Abstract This article highlights the effects of the baradari affiliations in the tussle for power during the parliamentary elections in Punjab. The study is related with the Khushab district and it covers the time span from 1982 to 2008. Though elections have not been frequently held in Pakistan yet they during the time selected for this study decided mostly the ruling people of the district of Khushab. The paper reveals that Baradari in Punjab, a major determinant of concentration of power in the hands of a few, plays a vital role in the victories and defeats in the elections. Often the contests take place only between two major baradaries led by the undeclared chiefs of the respective baradari. The information gathered from the statistics of elections have been used to draw the conclusions. Introduction Elections are held in various countries at different levels to determine and decide the representative authority to run the affairs of the state, province, city or even the commune. There are different modes, different procedures and diverse rules and regulations employed to ascertain in an impartial, just and independent environment that holds the confidence of the electorate. This process seems simple yet bears multiple aspects, variety of complexities and play of actors and brokers. Elections connect the people to the political representatives, either elected or defeated. The electoral behavior transcends the political behavior of any people, community or nation. Likewise, the voting behavior determines the significance of elections as the voter casts his or her vote to stamp the aspirations, concerns, needs, demands and utility requirements of subjective orientation and objective considerations.
    [Show full text]
  • Jahlar Lake (B) Country: Pakistan Name of Wetland
    Jahlar Lake (B) Country: Pakistan Name of wetland: Jahlar Lake Geographical coordinates: 32q 29'N, 72q 07'E General location: Approximately 10km southeast of Ucchali Lake and 10km southwest of Nowshera, Khushab District, Punjab Province. Area: 950ha Wetland type: Salt lake (inland drainage system) Altitude: 950m Biogeographic Province: Indus Ganges Monsoon Forest Description of site: A small brackish to saline lake with little marsh vegetation, in the Salt Range; similar in general character to the nearby larger Ucchali and Khabbaki Lakes. The lake is fed by run-off from the surrounding hills of the Salt Range. The depth varies from 0.2m to 6m depending on the amount of rainfall received. Ph values ranged from 9 - 10 in the years 1989 to 1992. Climatic conditions: Dry sub-tropical climate with hot summers and cool winters. The annual rainfall varies from 300mm to 800mm, and the relative humidity from 22% to 85%. Temperatures range from an average minimum of 0.5qC in January to an average maximum of 36qC in June. Principal vegetation: The aquatic vegetation includes Carex fedia, Hydrilla verticillata, Juncus sp., Phragmites australis, Potamogeton crispus, P. pectinatus, Saccharum spontaneum, Typha angustata and Zannichellia palustris. The natural vegetation of the region is a mixture of sub-tropical semi-evergreen forest and tropical thorn forest with species such as Acacia modesta, Adhatoda vasica, Asparagus gracilis, Cocculus laeba, Cynodon dactylon, Dodonaea viscosa, Ehretia laenis, Gymnosporia royleana, Olea ferruginea, Reptonia buxifolia, Sageretia lorandehuana, Tamarix aphylla, Withania coagulans, Zizyphus mauritiana and Z. nummularia. Land tenure: The lake and the adjoining lands are privately owned.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifesto 2013: Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians
    Manifesto 2013 We badly need to gather our thoughts and clear our minds. We need a political ceasefire without conceding ideological territory. Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Founder Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians Manifesto Manifesto Contents 2013 2013 International human rights instruments and Pakistan 32 Core priorities 2 Civil society 32 Preamble 8 Enforced disappearances and missing persons 32 The mission before us 8 Strengthening ties with overseas Pakistanis 32 Living up to our commitments 9 Our pledge to the people of Pakistan 10 Part III – Inclusive and equitable growth Basic principles of the Party 11 Executive summary 34 Why vote for the PPPP? 12 Living up to our commitments 36 Part I – Ensuring basic needs The way forward 37 Poverty alleviation: the Benazir Income Support Programme 40 Executive summary 14 People’s employment 40 Living up to our commitments 15 The right to employment 41 The way forward 17 Modernizing agriculture and enhancing production 41 Safety nets: Benazir Income Support Programme 17 Expansion and consolidation of agricultural facilities 41 A new beginning: building a system of entitlements 17 People’s Agriculture Programme 42 Health for all 17 Livestock and fisheries 43 Preventive medicine 18 Investment policy 43 Curative medicine 18 Small and medium enterprise 43 Regulation of drugs and medical devices 19 Special economic zones 43 National health insurance 19 Banking 43 Reforming medical education 19
    [Show full text]
  • Role of the Muslim Anjumans for the Promotion of Education in the Colonial Punjab: a Historical Analysis
    Bulletin of Education and Research December 2019, Vol. 41, No. 3 pp. 1-18 Role of the Muslim Anjumans for the Promotion of Education in the Colonial Punjab: A Historical Analysis Maqbool Ahmad Awan* __________________________________________________________________ Abstract This article highlightsthe vibrant role of the Muslim Anjumans in activating the educational revival in the colonial Punjab. The latter half of the 19th century, particularly the decade 1880- 1890, witnessed the birth of several Muslim Anjumans (societies) in the Punjab province. These were, in fact, a product of growing political consciousness and desire for collective efforts for the community-betterment. The Muslims, in other provinces, were lagging behind in education and other avenues of material prosperity. Their social conditions were also far from being satisfactory. Religion too had become a collection of rites and superstitions and an obstacle for their educational progress. During the same period, they also faced a grievous threat from the increasing proselytizing activities of the Christian Missionary societies and the growing economic prosperity of the Hindus who by virtue of their advancement in education, commerce and public services, were emerging as a dominant community in the province. The Anjumans rescued the Muslim youth from the verge of what then seemed imminent doom of ignorance by establishing schools and madrassas in almost all cities of the Punjab. The focus of these Anjumans was on both secular and religious education, which was advocated equally for both genders. Their trained scholars confronted the anti-Islamic activities of the Christian missionaries. The educational development of the Muslims in the Colonial Punjab owes much to these Anjumans.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Development, the People's Party of Pakistan and the Elections of 1970
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 1973 Political development, the People's Party of Pakistan and the elections of 1970. Meenakshi Gopinath University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Gopinath, Meenakshi, "Political development, the People's Party of Pakistan and the elections of 1970." (1973). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 2461. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/2461 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FIVE COLLEGE DEPOSITORY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE PEOPLE'S PARTY OF PAKISTAN AND THE ELECTIONS OF 1970 A Thesis Presented By Meenakshi Gopinath Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS June 1973 Political Science POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, THE PEOPLE'S PARTY OF PAKISTAN AND THE ELECTIONS OF 1970 A Thesis Presented By Meenakshi Gopinath Approved as to style and content hy: Prof. Anwar Syed (Chairman of Committee) f. Glen Gordon (Head of Department) Prof. Fred A. Kramer (Member) June 1973 ACKNOWLEDGMENT My deepest gratitude is extended to my adviser, Professor Anwar Syed, who initiated in me an interest in Pakistani poli- tics. Working with such a dedicated educator and academician was, for me, a totally enriching experience. I wish to ex- press my sincere appreciation for his invaluable suggestions, understanding and encouragement and for synthesizing so beautifully the roles of Friend, Philosopher and Guide.
    [Show full text]
  • Police Organisations in Pakistan
    HRCP/CHRI 2010 POLICE ORGANISATIONS IN PAKISTAN Human Rights Commission CHRI of Pakistan Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative working for the practical realisation of human rights in the countries of the Commonwealth Human Rights Commission of Pakistan The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is an independent, non-governmental organisation registered under the law. It is non-political and non-profit-making. Its main office is in Lahore. It started functioning in 1987. The highest organ of HRCP is the general body comprising all members. The general body meets at least once every year. Executive authority of this organisation vests in the Council elected every three years. The Council elects the organisation's office-bearers - Chairperson, a Co-Chairperson, not more than five Vice-Chairpersons, and a Treasurer. No office holder in government or a political party (at national or provincial level) can be an office bearer of HRCP. The Council meets at least twice every year. Besides monitoring human rights violations and seeking redress through public campaigns, lobbying and intervention in courts, HRCP organises seminars, workshops and fact-finding missions. It also issues monthly Jehd-i-Haq in Urdu and an annual report on the state of human rights in the country, both in English and Urdu. The HRCP Secretariat is headed by its Secretary General I. A. Rehman. The main office of the Secretariat is in Lahore and branch offices are in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. A Special Task Force is located in Hyderabad (Sindh) and another in Multan (Punjab), HRCP also runs a Centre for Democratic Development in Islamabad and is supported by correspondents and activists across the country.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Faith in the Charity and Development Sector in Karachi and Sindh, Pakistan
    Religions and Development Research Programme The Role of Faith in the Charity and Development Sector in Karachi and Sindh, Pakistan Nida Kirmani Research Fellow, Religions and Development Research Programme, International Development Department, University of Birmingham Sarah Zaidi Independent researcher Working Paper 50- 2010 Religions and Development Research Programme The Religions and Development Research Programme Consortium is an international research partnership that is exploring the relationships between several major world religions, development in low-income countries and poverty reduction. The programme is comprised of a series of comparative research projects that are addressing the following questions: z How do religious values and beliefs drive the actions and interactions of individuals and faith-based organisations? z How do religious values and beliefs and religious organisations influence the relationships between states and societies? z In what ways do faith communities interact with development actors and what are the outcomes with respect to the achievement of development goals? The research aims to provide knowledge and tools to enable dialogue between development partners and contribute to the achievement of development goals. We believe that our role as researchers is not to make judgements about the truth or desirability of particular values or beliefs, nor is it to urge a greater or lesser role for religion in achieving development objectives. Instead, our aim is to produce systematic and reliable knowledge and better understanding of the social world. The research focuses on four countries (India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Tanzania), enabling the research team to study most of the major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and African traditional belief systems.
    [Show full text]