HRCP tarnishing Pak Army’s role in Swat

HRCP tarnishing Pak Army’s role in Swat

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is established with a noble aim: to protect human rights (Pakistanis in our case) and its chairperson Asma Jehangir is a dedicated lady who has recently been awarded one of Pakistan’s highest civil awards, Hilal-e-Imtiaz for her meritorious services in the struggle for human rights. Nonetheless, the hi-fi claims of the HRCP to protect the rights of the downtrodden by highlighting their plight, build public opinion and move the government agencies remains ineffective because the Commission remains in inertia when a mass human catastrophe is simmering.

The inhuman treatment of the people of Malakand Division by the brute forces of the militants continued for the past two years but no vigorous campaign was launched by any of the human rights organisation to bring pressure nationally or internationally to stop the human inferno. In fact these organisations could not utter a single word of condemnation of the militants’ demeanour even within the air-conditioned premises of their offices much less taking out street demonstrations in far flung areas from the conflict area, Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, for fear of deadly reprisal from the militants.

The entire country has been suffering the heat of terrorism particularly in the past two years. The year 2008 saw 971 blasts that caused 5937 casualties at the hands of terrorists. Compared to this figure the 17-day Indo-Pak 1965 War made 3389 Pakistani casualties. The Lahore High Court was bombed and an imambargah attacked in January. February witnessed the killing of a highly pious human being, the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army in the peaceful city of Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s Naval War College and FIA’s HQ in Lahore were targeted. In March the entire lot of tribal jirga trying to negotiate peace in Darra Adam Khel was killed by the militants. Many madressahs (religious seminaries) of the rival factions have been destroyed. In Jamrud, Khyber Agency a Friday congregation was bombed that killed more than 50 nimazis.

The degree to which the fear of the militants had permeated the country can be gauged from the way the National Assembly members behaved when the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation bill was presented for soliciting their views and ultimate passage or rejection. The entire House gave approval without going into any debate because the Taliban in Swat had threatened that any Assembly member opposing the bill would face dire consequences.

Turning to the state of human rights in Swat valley there was nothing but barbarism that had become an effective tool in the hands of heartless militants. Pakistan’s law enforcing agencies had almost disappeared. More than three-fourth of the Division’s 4000 police force had deserted: the remaining men refused to man check-posts or perform traffic duties for fear of being kidnapped and tortured. Many employees of the Levies (local militia police) advertised their resignations in newspapers to avoid militants’ wrath. The female student population of 88,000 was denied formal education when their school buildings were regularly dynamited.

Disclosure by a terrorist commander Haider Ali recently apprehended in military action, Raah-e-Raast should open the eyes of the HRCP and a senior journalist of an Islamabad-based newspaper who are pleading the case of killing of some militants as extra-judicial killings and trying to malign the very army that has brought succour not only to Malakand Division but to the rest of Pakistan by breaking the back of the dreaded militants at the peril of their own lives.

In an interview to a private TV Haider Ali revealed that he lived in Qambar village of Swat where he was forcibly recruited by Taliban commander Shah Dauran. It was a common practice for Taliban to recruit at least one young man or a boy between 10 and 18 from each family. These young men were trained to fight law enforcement forces and create havoc in civilian population. Haider Ali has confessed to have slaughtered eight men, his colleague Hayat Khan beheaded 17 and another Hazrat Ali chopped of heads of five: all were innocent captives. They also attacked army convoys thrice and bombed numerous police check-posts and schools.

The most hair-raising crime the militants committed as narrated by Haider Ali in his TV interview was the method adopted to discourage female education. On the instructions of Shah Dauran they would kidnap young school-going girls from their houses, bring them to their centre, administer injunctions to make them unconscious and then subject them to rape. Thereafter the unfortunate girls would be thrown at the doorsteps of their homes. It may be recalled that Shah Dauran, a key Taliban commander, was killed in action during the Raah-e-Raast operation.

Haider Ali’s revelation is just the tip of what went on in Swat. It was the valiant armed forces of the country that that turned the impossible into possible by bringing a semblance of sanity to the valley. For this the soldiers had to sacrifice 1300 lives, still larger number maimed while the number of their widows and orphans left behind by the shaheeds cannot be counted. Therefore the accolade emitting from national and international circles for the performance of men of the armed forces as a messiah for the terribly devastated population of Swat was a natural reaction. The soldiers get ample opportunity to kill as many militants as they can when the operation is on then why would they capture militants and kill them in cold blood?

Probably the chairperson HRCP and the senior journalist are not in the same frame of mind as the returning IDPs to Swat. The Swatis have experienced inhuman treatment at the hands of militants therefore now their blood boils at the first site of militants. The locals do not miss the opportunity to kill militants but to avoid reprisal from other militants the killers make sure their victim is strewn at different deserted localities. Sometimes even the fleeing militants kill their injured colleagues so that they don’t fall into the hands of government.

Those terming the recently found dead bodies of 21 militants and discovery of mass graves as a handiwork of the armed forces and demanding inquiries are not only tarnishing the image of the army but putting a spanner in the wheel of operation Raah-e-Raast. Is HRCP not aware that Swat is experiencing a situation of insurgency i.e. rebellion against the state?

It is unfair when Asma Jehangir in a statement on August 17 declares, “The Commission reiterates that it has come across credible accounts of extra-judicial killings and complaints of reprisal attacks by the security forces during the operation in Swat.” She asked the government to conduct enquiry. Her demands pave way for three objectives: justify to the donor agencies to continue giving her setup fat funds, secondly to tarnish the armed forces popularly lauded achievements in the valley and thirdly to divert the attention of the soldiers from concentration in their ongoing action against the militants.

It was not expected from the guardians of human rights to keep mum when Taliban were playing havoc with the people of Swat but when the messiah in the form of armed forces brought peace and tranquility to the district it has been maligned with extra-judicial killings. Where the writ of the government had become ineffective and lawlessness prevailed how can extra-judicial killings take place?

Sayed G.B Shah Bokhari