KABUL (Pajhwok): Amnesty International (AI) has expressed concern over the declaration of a state of emergency, the imposition of governor’s rule and the deployment of Pakistani armed forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), warning that emergency measures must not be used to suppress human rights, silence dissent or centralise power.
Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia, said reports of arbitrary arrests of prominent political leaders in KP, including the chief minister and internet disruptions had raised concerns about whether the emergency measures were proportionate.
He said governments could temporarily derogate from certain human rights obligations only in exceptional circumstances when the life of the nation was threatened.
However, he stressed that emergency measures must not be treated as a “blank cheque” to suppress human rights, silence dissent or centralise power.
Pant added that, given previous reports of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the Pakistani armed forces’ “counter-terrorism” operations, deploying troops in KP could further militarise the region and create conditions for the unlawful use of force.
He urged Pakistani authorities not to use military personnel for routine policing and to ensure that the military remained accountable and operated in accordance with international human rights law and standards.
AI also called on federal authorities to ensure independent oversight of all measures taken under the state of emergency and to ensure that each measure was strictly necessary and proportionate to the circumstances.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari approved a state of emergency and governor’s rule in KP on 11 October. Under the decision, the powers of the provincial assembly were transferred to the federal parliament, while the chief minister, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and advocate general were removed from their posts.
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