COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT PAKISTAN APRIL 2006 RDS-IND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE PAKISTAN APRIL 2006 Contents Paragraphs 1. SCOPE OF DOCUMENT .................................................................... 1.01 2. GEOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 2.01 General.................................................................................... 2.01 Languages ............................................................................... 2.06 3. ECONOMY ...................................................................................... 3.01 4. HISTORY ........................................................................................ 4.01 Independence to October 1999 coup ........................................ 4.01 General Musharraf’s regime up to 2001 .................................... 4.02 The Taliban and events following 11 September 2001............. 4.06 Militant groups in 2002/2002 referendum.................................. 4.08 Constitutional amendments/2002-03 elections......................... 4.10 Militant Islamists/Line of Control (2003).................................... 4.15 Legal Framework Order/Assassination attempts/ Summit with India (2003–2004)......................................... 4.17 Political events and terrorism in 2004....................................... 4.20 Political events and terrorism in 2005....................................... 4.30 South Asia earthquake 08 October 2005 …………………………4.32 Madrassas – expulsion of foreign students and registration ...4.34 Political events and terrorism in 2006 ....................................... 4.35 5. STATE STRUCTURES ....................................................................... 5.01 The Constitution ......................................................................... 5.01 Overview.................................................................................. 5.01 Citizenship and Nationality (including fraudulent documents) .... 5.05 Political system........................................................................... 5.09 Introduction..................................................................................5.09 Main political parties following the coup ................................... 5.11 Federal Legislature .................................................................. 5.13 Judiciary...................................................................................... 5.15 Legal rights/detention ...................................................................5.19 Court system............................................................................ 5.19 Anti-Terrorism Act and Courts.................................................. 5.24 Federally Administered Tribal Areas......................................... 5.27 Tribal Justice System ..................................................................5.29 Sharia Law............................................................................... 5.31 Hudood Ordinances ................................................................. 5.33 Qisas and Diyat Ordinances..................................................... 5.37 Blasphemy Laws...................................................................... 5.39 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ...................................... 5.44 Arbitrary arrest ......................................................................... 5.48 Death penalty ..............................................................................5.52 Internal security.......................................................................... 5.56 Police....................................................................................... 5.56 Army ........................................................................................ 5.58 Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)...................................................5.61 Prisons and prison conditions.....................................................5.62 Military service ...............................................................................5.68 Medical services.............................................................................5.69 Educational system .......................................................................5.74 6. HUMAN RIGHTS .............................................................................. 6.01 6.A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES ................................................................... 6.01 General ........................................................................................ 6.01 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 10 March 2006. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. APRIL 2006 PAKISTAN Overview.................................................................................. 6.01 Human rights groups................................................................ 6.06 Police....................................................................................... 6.10 Torture ..................................................................................... 6.16 Freedom of speech and media .................................................. 6.18 Overview.................................................................................. 6.18 Journalists................................................................................ 6.22 Freedom of religion .......................................................................6.26 Overview .........................................................................................6.26 Background and demography.....................................................6.26 Policies and Constitutional provisions ...................................... 6.32 Hudood Ordinances and Blasphemy Laws ................................6.40 Voting rights............................................................................. 6.45 Ahmadis ...................................................................................... 6.49 Introduction..................................................................................6.49 Ahmadi Headquarters, Rabwah..................................................6.53 Lahori Ahmadis ...........................................................................6.57 Legislative restrictions.................................................................6.58 Passport Declaration................................................................ 6.62 Bai’at............................................................................................6.63 Current situation ..........................................................................6.64 Christians........................................................................................6.72 Introduction..................................................................................6.72 Current situation ..........................................................................6.74 Shi’a and Sunni Muslims – historical theological differences .................................. 6.78 Pakistan’s Shi’as (aka Shi’i or Shi’ites)..................................... 6.83 Freedom of assembly and association ..................................... 6.87 Overview.................................................................................. 6.87 Political activists ..........................................................................6.92 Employment rights.........................................................................6.94 People trafficking...........................................................................6.103 Freedom of movement ..................................................................6.110 6.B HUMAN RIGHTS - SPECIFIC GROUPS ...................................................6.112 Mohajirs....................................................................................... 6.112 Overview.................................................................................. 6.112 Formation of MQM ......................................................................6.113 Current situation ..........................................................................6.116 Women ........................................................................................ 6.118 Overview.................................................................................. 6.118 Legal provisions ....................................................................... 6.121 Discriminatory legislation.......................................................... 6.123 National Commission on the Status of Women ........................ 6.134 Family law and marriage .......................................................... 6.136 Domestic violence.................................................................... 6.142 Honour killings ......................................................................... 6.145 Rape ........................................................................................ 6.151 Assistance available to women ................................................ 6.157 Treatment of women in detention ............................................. 6.161 Political representation............................................................. 6.162 Property and inheritance rights...................................................6.163