LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Tuesday deplored the broadcasting of interviews of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf politicians who went missing, and, on being recovered, disassociated publicly from their party.
Such authoritarian tactics are an affront to democracy and people’s right to freedom of expression, opinion and association and, unless the state is not careful, will set new and dangerous precedents for who is allowed to say what and when.
In a statement issued here, the HRCP said it is also dismayed by reports that, despite the attorney general’s assurances to the Supreme Court in June that military courts would not hold summary trials, civilians are now being tried in these very courts, thereby violating their right to a fair and transparent trial under Article 10-A of the Constitution.
The state should be aware that, in the long term, the cost of deliberately decimating one political party (because it has fallen out of favour) is democracy itself and all its attendant fundamental rights.
