Pakistan Country of Origin Information (COI) Report COI Service 9 August 2013 Pakistan 9 August 2013 Contents Preface Reports on Pakistan published or accessed between 20 July and 8 August 2013 Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. Geography ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.09 Telecommunications ............................................................................................ 1.10 Public holidays ..................................................................................................... 1.13 2. Economy ............................................................................................................... 2.01 3. History ................................................................................................................... 3.01 4. Recent developments: May to July 2013 ............................................................ 4.01 Elections 2013 ...................................................................................................... 4.05 Election violence ................................................................................................ 4.08 5. Constitution .......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. Political system .................................................................................................... 6.01 Federal legislature ................................................................................................ 6.05 Provincial governments ....................................................................................... 6.09 Pakistan Administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) .............................................. 6.12 Line of Control .................................................................................................... 6.18 Map ................................................................................................................ 6.22 Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly known as the Northern Areas) .................................. 6.23 Human Rights 7. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. Security situation ................................................................................................. 8.01 US airstrikes ......................................................................................................... 8.16 Militant activity...................................................................................................... 8.23 Balochistan (Baluchistan) ................................................................................... 8.35 Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) ...................................................... 8.50 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) (formerly known as the North West Frontier Province – NWFP) ........................................................................................................... 8.58 Pakistani Taliban – an overview .......................................................................... 8.64 Sectarian violence ................................................................................................ 8.78 9. Security forces ..................................................................................................... 9.01 Police ..................................................................................................................... 9.04 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 9.15 Other government forces ..................................................................................... 9.19 Intelligence agencies .......................................................................................... 9.22 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 9.25 Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 9.30 Torture ................................................................................................................ 9.33 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 9.40 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 19 July 2013. 9 August 2013 Pakistan Disappearances ................................................................................................. 9.49 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 9.63 10. Military service ..................................................................................................... 10.01 11. Judiciary ................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.01 Shariat Courts (Islamic law) ............................................................................... 11.11 Anti-Terrorism Act and courts ............................................................................. 11.17 Military courts and the Army Act ......................................................................... 11.22 Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) ...................................................................... 11.26 Tribal justice system – Jirgas ............................................................................. 11.32 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.50 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.55 Double jeopardy ................................................................................................. 11.66 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 11.68 Qisas and Diyat ordinances ............................................................................... 11.70 Blasphemy laws.................................................................................................... 11.73 Hudood Ordinances ............................................................................................. 11.78 Code of criminal procedure ................................................................................. 11.86 12. Arrest and detention – legal rights ..................................................................... 12.01 First Information Reports (FIRs) ......................................................................... 12.01 Detention, bail and sentencing............................................................................ 12.11 Convictions in absentia ....................................................................................... 12.18 13. Prison conditions ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. Death penalty ........................................................................................................ 14.01 15. Political affiliation ................................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 15.02 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 15.08 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.14 Politically motivated violence .............................................................................. 15.17 16. Freedom of speech and media ............................................................................ 16.01 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 16.17 17. Human rights institutions, organisations and activists .................................... 17.01 18. Corruption ............................................................................................................. 18.01 National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) .......................................................... 18.09 National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ............................................................... 18.14 19. Freedom of religion .............................................................................................. 19.01 Demography ......................................................................................................... 19.14 Constitution and legislation ................................................................................ 19.21 Blasphemy laws.................................................................................................... 19.29 Misuse of blasphemy laws ................................................................................. 19.33 Blasphemy cases ............................................................................................... 19.51 Legal procedures for blasphemy charges .........................................................