COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT PAKISTAN 28 JULY 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 28 JULY 2009 PAKISTAN Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN PAKISTAN FROM 7 JULY 2009 TO 28 JULY 2009 REPORTS ON PAKISTAN PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 7 JULY 2009 AND 28 JULY 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map of Pakistan ............................................................................ 1.08 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 Political events in 2008 ................................................................ 3.09 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ..................................................................... 4.01 Political events in 2009 ................................................................ 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Federal Legislature ...................................................................... 6.01 Provincial Governments .............................................................. 6.04 Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir) ...................... 6.06 Line of Control ........................................................................... 6.08 Map ....................................................................................... 6.10 Recent events............................................................................ 6.09 Northern areas.............................................................................. 6.16 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ........................................................................... 8.01 US airstrikes .............................................................................. 8.08 Militant activity ............................................................................. 8.10 Balochistan ................................................................................ 8.15 North West Frontier Province (NWFP) ...................................... 8.29 Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) ............................. 8.35 Map............................................................................................ 8.38 Pakistani Taliban ....................................................................... 8.21 Background ........................................................................... 8.21 9. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................... 9.01 Police............................................................................................. 9.01 Armed forces ................................................................................ 9.12 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 9.15 Torture ....................................................................................... 9.19 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 9.24 Disappearances......................................................................... 9.27 Other government forces ............................................................ 9.30 Intelligence agencies ................................................................. 9.30 10. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................. 10.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 6 July 2009. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 28 July 2009. PAKISTAN 28 JULY 2009 11. JUDICIARY ......................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.01 Shariat Courts (Islamic Law)...................................................... 11.08 Anti-Terrorism Act and Courts ................................................... 11.13 Military Courts and the Army Act ............................................... 11.15 Federally Administered Tribal Areas.......................................... 11.18 Tribal Justice System................................................................. 11.19 Independence and Fair trial......................................................... 11.28 Double jeopardy......................................................................... 11.34 Penal Code.................................................................................... 11.36 Text of the Penal Code .............................................................. 11.36 Qisas and Diyat Ordinances ...................................................... 11.37 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 political expression ................................................. 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.03 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.06 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA....................................................... 16.01 Journalists .................................................................................... 16.13 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ......... 17.01 18. CORRUPTION ..................................................................................... 18.01 National Accountability Bureau (NAB)....................................... 18.05 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION ......................................................................19.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 19.01 Demography .............................................................................. 19.08 Constitution and Legislation....................................................... 19.09 Blasphemy Laws........................................................................ 19.12 Legal procedure for blasphemy charges............................... 19.22 Hudood Ordinances................................................................... 19.23 Anti-Terrorist Laws..................................................................... 19.26 Apostasy .................................................................................... 19.27 Inter-faith marriage....................................................................... 19.30 Fatwa ............................................................................................. 19.34 Voting rights ................................................................................. 19.39 Ahmadis ........................................................................................ 19.45 Background................................................................................ 19.45 Demography .............................................................................. 19.48 Legislation discriminating against Ahmadis ............................... 19.50 Passports and ID cards ............................................................. 19.53 Khatme Nabuwaat ..................................................................... 19.54 Violence and discrimination against Ahmadis ........................... 19.57 Societal discrimination ............................................................... 19.70 Christians...................................................................................... 19.76 Demography .............................................................................. 19.76 Recent events............................................................................ 19.77 Shi’a and Sunni Muslims ............................................................. 19.85 Background................................................................................ 19.85 Demography .............................................................................. 19.87 Sectarian violence ..................................................................... 19.89 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ................................................................................ 20.01 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 6 July 2009. Further brief iii information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 28 July 2009. 28 JULY 2009 PAKISTAN Baloch ........................................................................................... 20.03 Dalits.............................................................................................