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pakistan
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208 total results foundAuthor: Budhani, Azmat Ali Title: The Open City: Social Networks and Violence in Karachi Summary: This paper begins with a description of the conflict and violence that has become associated with Karachi. Trends and patterns in conflict and non-state violence are identified, as outcomes that require explanation. The second section provides relevant background information on the city's placement within the national polity and economy. Some of the main explanations for Karachi's trends and patterns of conflict and violence - relating to ethnic identity, organizations, economic frustration, and political conspiracies - are reviewed in the third section. Details: London: Crisis States Research Centre, 2010. 42p. Source: Crisis States Working Papers Series No. 2; Working Paper No. 70 Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Ethnic Groups (Karachi) Shelf Number: 118425 |
Author: Jones, Seth G. Title: Counterinsurgency in Pakistan Summary: Since 2001, Pakistan has undertaken a number of operations against militant groups, including al Qa'ida, that directly affect U.S. national security. Despite some successes, militant groups continue to present a significant threat to Pakistan, the United States, and a range of other countries. Numerous militant networks — including al Qa'ida and other foreign fighters — exist in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province. Pakistan will not be able to deal with the militant threat over the long run unless it does a more effective job of addressing the root causes of the crisis and makes security of the civilian population, rather than destroying the enemy, its top counterinsurgency priority. In addition, Pakistan needs to abandon militancy as a tool of its foreign and domestic policy; it sends a confusing message internally and has a large potential to backfire. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2010. 185p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2010 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2010/RAND_MG982.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Counterinsurgency Shelf Number: 119759 |
Author: Hussain, Syed Ejaz Title: Terrorism in Pakistan: Incident Patterns, Terrorists' Characteristics, and the Impact of Terrorist Arrests on Terrorism Summary: This dissertation, in a 3-paper format, uses three datasets to study three aspects of terrorism in Pakistan. In the first paper, using data from the GTD, I describe empirically the temporal and spatial patterns of terrorism incidents in Pakistan from 1974 to 2007. In addition, I also describe the patterns in target types, weapon types and terrorist types and the patterns prior to and following the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Analysis methods include the univariate time series, descriptive statistics and the GIS. The study offers new insights on the measurement of terrorism, the cyclical nature of terrorism, the role of conflict, the choice of weapons, the sponsorship of terrorism, the selection of targets and the reactionary nature of terrorism. The second paper analyzes personal, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of arrested terrorists in Pakistan from 1990 to 2009. I analyze police data on 2,344 terrorists using the GIS, univariate and bivariate analyses. Significant group differences, as well as differences based on geography lead to the conclusion that a generic profile of terrorists is almost impossible. One factor universally present in the circumstances of almost all the terrorists is that they belong to some area of conflict. In the third paper, I test Sherman’s theory of defiance (1993) to discern how arrests of different terrorist types and terrorist arrest types result in different types of reactions—defiance, deterrence, or irrelevance. Terrorist types can be divided into hardcore terrorists and peripheral terrorists, and arrest types can be divided into ordinary arrests or arrests by killings. I use 20 years of data from eight regions of the Punjab. Using fixed-effects cross-sectional time series (long panel), instrumental variable approach and Poisson distribution, I conclude that: aggregated arrests, ordinary arrests, and arrests of hardcore terrorists, in the current period, are associated with higher expected incidence and seriousness of terrorism in the same six month period. Further, that as compared to peripheral arrests, hardcore arrests generate more defiance. Lags of arrests and ordinary arrests decrease the expected incidence and seriousness of terrorism, suggesting a possible decay in defiance after the first six months. Details: Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2010. 179p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed December 7, 2010 at: http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1163&context=edissertations Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Arrests Shelf Number: 120404 |
Author: Siddique, Qandeel Title: Tehrik-E-Taliban Pakistan: An Attempt to Deconstruct the Umbrella Organization and the Reasons For Its Growth in Pakistan's North-West Summary: The present report aims to describe the concept of the militant umbrella organization Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) by looking at the organisational structure, background and ideology of the group. Tactics and recruitment strategies are also discussed, along with the various financial sources that have helped sustain the TTP. Finally, the reasons for the spread and rise of the TTP are analysed. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan’s presence and influence appear to be spreading across the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPP). Pockets within the Punjab and Sind provinces have also been affected by the TTP. However, in light of recent political and military manoeuvres along Pakistan’s North Western Pashtun belt, the dynamics of ‘Talibanization’ – i.e. jihadist activity and the enforcement of a parallel administrative system and social code – are expected to alter. A number of the new breed of TTP leaders are in their thirties, with little or no formal education, and come from relatively poor socio-economic backgrounds. The exact number of TTP militants is uncertain but likely to be upwards of 10,000. Fault lines and nuances exist within the TTP umbrella organization, distinguishing one Taliban faction from the other. Bombings, including suicide strikes, appear to be the group’s preferred modus operandi, these being targeted especially at the Pakistani security forces and symbols of the state. Illegal FM radio channels and the circulation of DVD, CDs and pro-TTP newspapers and websites serve to promote the organization’s propaganda campaign. Child recruitment appears common; certain Pakistani Taliban commanders bear a specific responsibility for training suicide bombers, and a significant amount of propaganda material is directed at young people. The role of Internally Displaced Persons as a possible recruitment pool for the TTP needs to be studied further. A myriad of financial sources swell TTP coffers, including criminal activity, ‘protection money’ and donations from sympathisers inside and outside of Pakistan. TTP ideology reinforces the points laid out in the initial moves announced by the organization upon its formation in December 2007, namely: 1. Enforce sharia. 2. Unite against coalition forces in Afghanistan. 3. Perform defensive jihad against the Pakistani Army. In addition, a marked sectarian tinge has coloured the TTP ideology, this most likely being due to the injection of leaders and cadres from sectarian backgrounds into the TTP. Although previously affiliated with religious political parties, TTP leaders now appear to have adopted a rigid anti-democracy stance. There has also been a growing reference to a ‘global jihad’ – either in relation to rescuing fellow Muslims from ‘occupation,’ spreading sharia, or avenging the growing US presence and drone attacks in Pakistan. Difference may arise with regard to how any particular TTP faction prioritize the above points, depending on the individual background of a particular group leader, the political history of his territory, predominant social dynamics, and the extent and nature of its relations with other groups, such as the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida. Such nuances distinguish, for example, the Muqami Tehrik-e-Taliban and the Haqqani group, who remain focused on Afghanistan, from the Baitullah Mehsud group and Fidayeen Islam, who claim the fight against the Pakistani security forces to be the ‘real jihad.’ It is also important to separate rhetoric from reality: alliances are often formed for the purpose of political posturing, rather than reflecting an actual alignment of agendas or ideologies. The frequent formation of tribal militias to confront the Taliban points to a lack of local support for the TTP. Factors accounting for cases where the TTP is known to have received local backing include threats and coercion by the rebels, local power structures supplanted by TTP governance, an effective propaganda campaign and feeding off the socio-economic frustrations of the local population. The last point in particular deserves further attention, as evidence from FATA and KPP suggests that long-standing socio-economic grievances among the local population, coupled with ongoing feelings of victimization at the hands of the Pakistani state and army, may drive them to support extremist ideology and the parallel forms of governance and ‘justice’ it offers. Details: Copenhagen: Danish Institute for International Studies, DIIS, 2010. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: DISS Report 2010:12: Accessed December 17, 2010 at: http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/Reports2010/RP2010-12-Tehrik-e-Taliban_web.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Criminal Violence Shelf Number: 120536 |
Author: Jamal, Asad Title: Police Organisations in Pakistan Summary: The police in this country represent what is both good and bad about Pakistan. In terms of ideals, the police are charged with the noble and important undertaking of ensuring public safety and maintaining law and order. However, in terms of performance, Transparency International has ranked the police as the most corrupt institution in Pakistan in three consecutive surveys. Regardless of what one personally feels about the police, the fact is that the average citizen knows very little about this incredibly important and influential state actor. It is for this reason that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative have come together to offer a report on police organisations in Pakistan. The purpose of this publication is twofold: first, to serve as a resource for people to better understand the roles and responsibilities of the police and secondly, to offer practical benefit for people in their interactions with the police. Details: Lahore: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2010. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.hrcp-web.org/pdf/Police_Organisations_in_Pakistan%5B1%5D.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Police (Pakistan) Shelf Number: 120569 |
Author: Murtaza, Amir Title: Silent Shrieks: A Situational Analysis of Violence Against Street Children in Karachi Summary: Violence against children is certainly not a new phenomenon. Millions of children throughout the world, including Pakistan, are the victims of physical, sexual, emotional violence and discrimination. However, the definition of “violence” to children varies from country to country and culture to culture. Different countries have differing levels of “legal” violence to children, characterizing such violence as forms of allowable punishment. Negative impact of globalization, unplanned urbanization, increasing poverty, rural-urban migration and rising unemployment have devastating consequences for children. Under these adverse circumstances, poor families, especially in underdeveloped countries, abandon their children or they run away because of lack of parental care and concern. Poverty, neglect and mistreatment are the major factors compelling them to leave their homes and seek shelter in big cities, making streets, market places, bus stops and railway stations as their new homes. To make a living, they take petty jobs, indulge in immoral activities and often take drugs. In the process, they come across criminals who lure them to a similar life of crime. Children who leave, run away, or forced to take refuge in the streets are generally attracted to Karachi, the economic capital of the country. Therefore, street children are extremely visible in all 18 towns of the city. The exact numbers of street children in Karachi are unknown; a look of railway stations or bus stops strengthens the prevailing notion that the arrival of any train/bus from rural areas of the country increases the number of street children in Karachi. The working conditions of these children can be described as dirty and dangerous. They do all sorts of manual work and do not find any profession that could ultimately lead them to skilled profession. Children on the streets suffer both physically and psychologically. Their exposure to unhealthy living and working conditions, vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse, drugs and indulgence in criminal activities are some of the physical threats. Violence against street children in Karachi manifests itself in a number of forms. However, the exact scope of the problem is not known as it has been only in the last few years that the prevalence of deliberate physical and mental violence to street children by parents, peers, police and others has begun to be acknowledged however not documented. The purpose of this situational analysis is to document the patterns and magnitude of violence against street children in Karachi and provide groundwork for further researches. Details: Pakistan: Initiator Human Development Foundation, 2010. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2011 at: http://www.crin.org/docs/SLIENT-SHRIEKS.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Shelf Number: 121072 |
Author: Anwar, Wajeeha Title: Cruel Number 2010: A Compilation of Statistics on Child Sexual Abuse Cases in Pakistan Summary: In order to collect data on child sexual abuse (CSA) in Pakistan, Sahil monitors 69 national dailies on reported incidents of CSA. We believe that the number of incidents presented in the print media do not represent the total numbers of such incidents in Pakistan-because such issues are taboo and are not easily reported. Any attempt to quantify the issue of child sexual abuse is bound to be limited in scope. The aim of producing these reports is to inform the general public and child policy makers of the incidents of CSA in Pakistan. Also, it is aiming to provide information to all stakeholders in all the sectors of society for protection of children. Details: Islamabad, Pakistan: Sahil, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 12, 2011 at: http://www.sahil.org/images/cruel%20numbers%202010.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Child Protection Shelf Number: 122035 |
Author: Title: Reforming Pakistan's Prison System Summary: A corrupt and dysfunctional prison system has contributed to – and is a manifestation of – the breakdown of the rule of law in Pakistan. Heavily overpopulated, understaffed and poorly managed, the prisons have become a fertile breeding ground for criminality and militancy, with prisoners more likely to return to crime than to abandon it. The system must be examined in the context of a deteriorating criminal justice sector that fails to prevent or prosecute crime, and protects the powerful while victimising the underprivileged. Yet, while domestic and international actors alike are devoting more resources to improve policing and prosecution, prisons continue to be largely neglected. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government at the centre and the four provincial governments, as well as the country’s international partners, should make penal reform a central component of a criminal justice reform agenda. Pakistan lacks a systematic program for the capacity building of prison staff, while existing regulations on postings, transfers and promotions are frequently breached because of nepotism and political interference. Given weak accountability mechanisms for warders and prison superintendents, torture and other brutal treatment are rampant and rarely checked. Moreover, with out-dated laws and procedures, bad practices and poor oversight, the criminal justice system is characterised by long detentions without trial. As a result, prisons remain massively overcrowded, with nearly 33,000 more prisoners than the authorised capacity. The large majority of the total prison population – around 50,000 out of 78,000 – are remand prisoners awaiting or on trial. With more than two dozen capital offences, including many discriminatory provisions that carry a mandatory death penalty, the death-row population is the largest in the world, though the current government has placed an informal moratorium on executions. Circumventing the justice system, the military has detained thousands of people, ostensibly suspected of terrorism but including thousands of political dissidents and others opposed to the military’s policies, especially in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Its methods include torture, collective justice and extrajudicial killings. By swelling public resentment, such practices are more likely to create terrorists than counter them. Instead of establishing parallel, unaccountable and illegal structures, countering militancy requires the reform of a dysfunctional criminal justice system. The separation of low-level offenders and suspects, particularly impressionable youth, from the criminal hardcore is particularly urgent. In violation of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO), children continue to be arrested for petty offences and illegally detained for days and even months; in the absence of adequate facilities, their exposure to hardened criminals, including jihadis, makes them more likely to embrace crime, including militancy, after they are released than before they were imprisoned. Yet, with jails overflowing, it is nearly impossible to isolate hardened criminals, including militants, from remand prisoners, juveniles and low-level or first-time offenders. Provincial governments are trying to reduce overcrowding by constructing more prisons and barracks. This strategy is not sustainable. The problem is not simply one of inadequate infrastructure. The prison population will continue to increase so long as bail rights are rarely granted, and accused persons are seldom brought to court on their trial dates. Recent legislation under the current government that makes it easier to obtain bail is a step in the right direction, but only if consistently applied by the courts. There is, however, an acute shortage of probation and parole officers and no systematic programs to rehabilitate released prisoners. In addition to improving police and judicial functioning, the national and provincial governments should invest in establishing an effective probation regime; creating alternatives to imprisonment for petty crimes, such as fines, community service, community confinement and mental health and drug treatment; and providing free legal aid to those who cannot afford it, including by fully resourcing public defenders’ offices. Strong action should also be taken against police and prison officials for often failing to get prisoners to court on their trial dates, or often only doing so after bribes have been paid. Like the police and courts, the prison system is a major contact point between citizen and state, reflecting the public’s access to justice. Major reforms are necessary to restore public confidence in the government’s ability to enforce the rule of law while protecting the rights of all citizens. Having ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) in June 2010, the government should allocate the necessary human and financial resources and meet its obligations under these international treaties, so as to ensure that torture and other ill-treatment of detainees are stopped and that officials and institutions responsible for such practises are held accountable. If Pakistan’s prison system remains brutal, opaque and unaccountable, it will continue to aggravate rather than help resolve the country’s major internal security challenges. RECOMMENDATIONS To the Federal Government of Pakistan and Provincial Governments: 1. Repeal the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation 2011 for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas, and replace the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) 1901, with an updated Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act, in accordance with Article 8 of the constitution and internationally accepted human rights standards. 2. Commit to the abolition of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees in all places of detention, and with the necessary financial and human resources take tangible steps to implement international conventions that Pakistan has ratified, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). 3. Address overcrowding in prisons by: a) enforcing existing bail laws, and urging the high judiciary to hold trial court judges accountable for failing to grant bail according to the law; b) passing a new law requiring judges to allow bail unless there are reasonable grounds to believe the prisoner would abscond or commit further offences; and c) reforming the sentencing structure for non-violent petty crimes and first-time offenders to include alternatives to imprisonment, such as fines, probation, community service and psychological and drug treatment. 4. Implement the federal Public Defender and Legal Aid Office Act and pass and implement provincial equivalents without delay; and fund and support NGOs providing free legal aid to prisoners until such offices are established. 5. Improve the quality of prison staff by: a) making the inspectorate of prisons an autonomous organisation instead of an attached department of the provincial home ministry; b) raising salaries, and linking salaries and privileges to those of the police; c) ensuring recruitment on merit and streamlining promotion mechanisms to allow the most deserving to be rewarded with career advancement opportunities; d) building a training institution in each of the four provinces; and e) improving the quality of instruction provided to prison staff through the introduction of modern curricula, based on international standards. 6. Crack down on criminality and improve prison security by: a) taking action against prison officials for failing to enforce security-related regulations; b) preventing access to mobile phones; taking steps to reduce substance abuse and other criminal activity within prisons; and taking action against prison staff responsible for providing prohibited material to inmates; c) training prison staff to more effectively quell riots and repel attacks by prisoners and providing the staff with adequate equipment; and d) installing jamming devices and CCTVs in all major prisons. 7. Improve conditions for prisoners and ensure that they are consistent with legal requirements by: a) constituting criminal justice coordination committees at the national, provincial and district levels, as mandated by Police Order (2002), and authorising them to regularly visit prisons to examine conditions, determine prison administrators’ adherence to law and raise prison-related issues with responsible government officials and policymakers; b) constituting public safety commissions at the national, provincial and district levels, as mandated by Police Order (2002), and extending their authority to hold prison officials accountable for failure to uphold prisoners’ rights and to maintain required standards in prison administration; c) ending the practice of putting condemned prisoners in death row cells while their appeals are still pending, shifting them instead to general barracks; d) investing in better medical care for inmates by allocating more resources and engaging with philanthropists and NGOs to provide better facilities; e) building separate detention facilities for women prisoners and ending the practice of housing them in separate barracks within male prisons; f) eliminating the practice of keeping juveniles in regular prisons, including by establishing functional borstal institutions in each province; and g) amending the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, to require juveniles charged under it to be tried in juvenile courts. 8. Take steps toward the reintegration and rehabilitation of released prisoners by: a) investing in education services and vocational training for inmates, particularly youth and women, to inculcate skills needed to re-enter the workforce; b) improving the functioning of probation and reclamation departments by developing specialised training and curriculums for probation officers and prison staff in the National Academy for Prisons Administration (NAPA), the Punjab Prisons Staff Training Institute and other training institutes; c) directing each provincial home ministry to assess the number of probation and parole officers required by existing and expected caseloads and to increase their numbers accordingly, while providing them with proper offices and adequate facilities, including transport; and d) engaging with probationers’ family members and encouraging community involvement in their rehabilitation and reintegration. 9. End military-devised “de-radicalisation” programs, developing instead a holistic policy aimed at preventing jihadi recruitment, including separating juveniles and other minor and first-time offenders from the adult prison population; making bail the norm rather than the exception; and establishing an effective probation and rehabilitation regime along the lines suggested above. To the International Community, in particular the U.S.: 10. Support the government’s reform agenda, allocating a substantial portion of civilian law enforcement assistance to prison reform, with a focus on: a) improving training programs for prison staff based on revised curriculums that bring existing prison procedures in line with international standards; b) supporting the computerisation of prison and probation records; c) working with training institutes to improve training for probation personnel and with reclamation officials/departments to rehabilitate and reintegrate released prisoners into society and the workforce; and d) supporting NGOs that provide legal aid, education, and vocational training to prisoners, particularly juveniles. 11. Urge the Pakistan military to provide international and domestic humanitarian agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), complete access to the estimated thousands of detainees, including juveniles, under its custody, including that of its intelligence agencies, in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. 12. Condition military assistance on the Pakistani military immediately ending practices that violate international conventions and basic international legal standards, including illegal detention, collective justice, torture, and extrajudicial killings; and scrutinise the military’s actions when reporting on Pakistan’s compliance with the ICCPR, UNCAT and other treaties. Details: Islamabad, Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2011. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report No. 212: Accessed October 18, 2011 at: Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Correctional Administration Shelf Number: 123053 |
Author: Kemal, M. Ali Title: A Fresh Assessment of the Underground Economy and Tax Evasion in Pakistan: Causes, Consequences, and Linkages with the Formal Economy Summary: Rise in the underground economy creates problems for the policy-makers to formulate economic policies, especially the monetary and fiscal policies. It is found that if there was no tax evasion, budgets balance might have been zero and positive for some years and we would not have needed to borrow as much as we had borrowed. It is concluded that the impact of the underground economy is significant to the movements of the formal economy, but the impact of formal economy is insignificant in explaining the movements in the underground economy. In the long run, underground economy and official economy are positively associated. It is estimated that the underground economy ranges between Rs 2.91 trillion and Rs 3.34 trillion (54.6 percent of GDP to 62.8 percent of GDP respectively) in 2005 and tax evasion ranges between Rs 302 billion and Rs 347 billion (5.7 percent of GDP to 6.5 percent of GDP respectively) in 2005. Underground economy and tax evasion were increasing very rapidly in the early 1980s but the rate of increase accelerated in the 1990s. It declined in 1999, but reverted to an increasing trend until 2003. It declined again in 2004 and 2005. Details: Islamabad: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, 2007. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 5, 2011 at: http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/Working%20Paper/Working%20Paper%20No.%2013.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Tax Evasion Shelf Number: 123236 |
Author: Parveen, Rakhshinda Title: Gender-Based Violence in Pakistan: A Scoping Study Summary: The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, with a Gender-related Development Index ranking of 125th out of 169 countries, and a Gender Empowerment Measure rank of 99 out of 109 countries. The Gender Equity Program, funded by USAID and implemented in Pakistan by The Asia Foundation and the Aurat Foundation, has undertaken this scoping study on gender-based violence in Pakistan to identify issues, needs and priorities in this particular context, besides highlighting gaps in research and interventions, and clearly mapping out past and present interventions to address gender-based violence by donors and international NGOs in Pakistan. Discussion of this complex area is contextualized in the disadvantages faced by ordinary Pakistani women, with the aim to analyze the problem through a gender-sensitive and responsive lens. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for this study, which uses both primary and secondary data collection and analysis. The respondents were selected from amongst donors, international and national NGOs, media networks, inventories available on the internet, and e-mail lists. The author approached 110 respondents from four identified groups: NGOs and international NGOs specializing in addressing gender-based violence in Pakistan (40 respondents); gender experts and other key informants in the public sector, international NGOs, UN and the donor community (15 respondents), Pakistani print and electronic media professionals (25 respondents), and experts on gender, women, human rights, law and legal aid, media advocacy, research and management, etc. (30 respondents). The aim was to achieve responses from at least 25 ideal respondents in 18 days, with a pre-calculated risk of less than 50 percent responses. Details: Islamabad, Pakistan: Aurat Foundation, Gender Equality Program, 2011. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://www.af.org.pk/gep/deskStudies/GENDER%20BASED%20VIOLENCE%20-%20R%20PARVEEN%20(2).pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Evaluative Studies Shelf Number: 123970 |
Author: Amin, Mohammad Title: A Research Study on the Trends & Causes of Women Trafficking in NWFP, Pakistan Summary: This study was commissioned by the Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP), and funded by the UNDP, Gender Justice Programme (GJP). The survey focuses to gauge the extent of trafficking of women from and into the North West Frontier Province (NWFP); identifying the main areas of origin, transit and destination of trafficking. The report also highlights the efforts registered so far and support available in NWFP for victims of trafficking. The study also takes into account awareness among stakeholders regarding the crime of trafficking in the province, and looks into support mechanisms available for the victims of trafficking, their accessibility of these services and gaps therein. Details: Pakistan: Gender Justice and Protection, UNDP, 2010. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2012 at http://gjp.org.pk/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=142&tmpl=component&format=raw&Itemid=65 Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Female Victims (Pakistan) Shelf Number: 124996 |
Author: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) Title: Police Stations Understaffed in Punjab, KP and Sindh: A Report Based on Monitoring of 90 Police Stations in 62 Districts across Pakistan during January - March 2011 Summary: FAFEN is a network of 42 civil society organizations working to foster democratic accountabilities in Pakistan. It is governed by Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability. FAFEN has launched a nationwide initiative to monitor governance processes under its Democratic Governance Program in line with its mandate to strengthen all forms of democratic accountabilities in Pakistan. Objective information about governance processes is vital to encourage informed engagement of citizenry with elected and public institutions for progressive outputs. Police Station monitoring is an effort by FAFEN to identify the strengths and challenges of the police stations across the country and to hold them accountable for fulfilling their public mandate. The monitoring includes direct observation of the diligence of police in addressing citizens' complaints. The statistics acquired through these observations help FAFEN to anlayze the effectiveness of the police in facilitating citizens and enforcing law and order. The police stations in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were understaffed to a varying degree, the police stations in Balochistan and Islamabad capital territory were heavily overstaffed, according to Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN’s) police station monitor. This report is based on information collected by FAFEN monitors who visited 90 police stations in 62 districts across the country during January - March 2011. Of the monitored 90 police stations, 39 were in Punjab, 23 in KP, 20 police stations in Sindh, seven in Balochistan and one in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Details: Islamabad, Pakistan: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), 2011. 10p. Source: FAFEN Police Station Monitor Issue 044: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2012 at http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/documents/FAFEN_PoliceStationsUnderstaffedinPunjabKPandSindh.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Police Administration (Pakistan) Shelf Number: 125051 |
Author: Abbas, Hassan Title: Reforming Pakistan‘s Police and Law Enforcement Infrastructure: Is It Too Flawed to Fix? Summary: An effective police force is critical to countering insurgency. In Pakistan, an understaffed and underequipped police force is increasingly called on to manage rising insecurity and militant violence. This report evaluates the obstacles to upgrading the existing police system and recommends traditional and innovative reform options, including major restructuring of the total civilian law enforcement infrastructure, without which the police force cannot be effectively improved. Because Pakistan’s police capacity has direct implications for the country’s ability to tackle terrorism, the United States and its allies would realize counterterrorism dividends by helping law enforcement efforts through modern training and technical assistance. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 266: Accessed June 29, 2012 at: http://www.usip.org/files/resources/sr266.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Law Enforcement Shelf Number: 125428 |
Author: Abbas, Hassan, ed. Title: Stabilizing Pakistan Through Police Reform Summary: In the coming years, Pakistan will continue to face a range of challenges stemming from both internal and external factors. In addition to the transnational and regional threats of terrorism, Pakistan is also experiencing domestic security challenges posed by rising religious extremism and militancy, kidnappings, organized crime, insurgencies, and political assassinations. Increasingly fragile internal security and law enforcement systems will likely pose grave difficulties for the country. In light of the trends of increasing insecurity and instability, how the police and other law enforcement bodies are structured and how they coordinate efforts to combat security threats deserve greater attention. Despite frequent internal crises in Pakistan since the country was established in 1947—ranging from ethnic and sectarian conflicts to chronic political instability and underdevelopment—policy makers have neglected to prioritize police reform. High crime rates throughout the country, relatively low conviction rates of prisoners on trial, and heightened concerns about instability spilling over from Afghanistan indicate that there is an urgent and critical need to invest in and reform Pakistan’s law enforcement infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Asia Society convened an Independent Commission on Pakistan Police Reform composed of leading experts in Pakistan and the United States and under the direction of Dr. Hassan Abbas to think through ways to strengthen security sector reform efforts. The Commission’s culminating report, Stabilizing Pakistan through Police Reform, draws on extensive interviews conducted throughout Pakistan with experienced police officials, security analysts, and legal experts, in addition to essays contributed by experts in the field, to provide a much-needed framework for police and law enforcement reform throughout the country. Each chapter focuses on an area that is in need of reform and presents a set of policy recommendations aimed at developing systematic strategies to counter extremism, terrorism, and crime. Taken together, the findings and recommendations are broadly supported by the Commission. Details: Asia Society, Independent Commission on Pakistan Police Reform, 2012. 153p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 17, 2012 at: http://asiasociety.org/files/pdf/as_pakistan_police_reform.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Law Enforcement Shelf Number: 126062 |
Author: Abbas, Hassan Title: Police & Law Enforcement Reform in Pakistan: Crucial for Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism Success Summary: It is a globally recognized fact that a state’s police and law enforcement agencies play a critical role as the first line of defense against the threats of terrorism and insurgencies. An informative RAND study titled How Terrorist Groups End provides evidence that effective police and intelligence work, rather than the use of military force, deliver better counterterrorism results. Based on this conclusion, the report suggested to U.S. policymakers that they stop using the phrase “war on terrorism,” because there is no battlefield solution to defeating terrorists. Another valuable study analyzing the police role in counterinsurgency campaigns in Malaya and Cyprus concluded that nearly all major twentieth-century counterinsurgency campaigns relied heavily on indigenous police as well as military forces. Both studies are very relevant to the terrorism and insurgency crisis faced by Pakistan today. Many security experts rightfully contend that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are facing a growing Taliban insurgency in the Pak-Afghan tribal belt – some even call it a Pashtun insurgency. According to Kelev I. Sepp’s Best Practices in Counterinsurgency, which closely studied seventeen insurgencies, the role of the police is always central to any successful counterinsurgency measures. His recommended measures for insurgency hit areas emphasize “police in the lead” with the military providing backup support and strengthening the police with diversified training capabilities to help meet the security needs of the at-risk population. Since 9/11 and the consequent US/NATO military action in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s troubled northwestern frontier has come under increasing pressure from militant and terrorist organizations operating in the area. Pakistan’s deficient and flawed law enforcement capacity in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the adjacent North West Frontier Province (NWFP) have helped Pakistani Taliban and other terrorist groups expand their influence and strongly challenge the state’s writ. Outgunned and outfinanced, on average 400 police officers have been killed every year in terrorist attacks since 2005. Controversial and haphazard Pakistani military action in the area has led to more instability, and limited resistance in FATA has now become a growing ethnic insurgency. As is clear from the turmoil in the NWFP’s Swat district, any army action can provide no more than a breathing space to the state; only police and law enforcement actions can help the state reestablish its writ and stabilize the area. A timely police action can be more effective in quelling emergent insurgencies. My research into the 2007 Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) crisis in Islamabad, where a strong military operation led to hundreds of deaths and dozens of retaliatory suicide attacks, also indicates that: (a) an effective police action in time (2004-05) could have avoided the later bloody clash and (b) the police lacked authority and the permission of the state and its important institutions to legally pursue the rebel clerics in the mosque (during the 2004-07 timeframe). The police infrastructure is one of Pakistan’s most poorly managed organizations. It is aptly described as ill-equipped, poorly trained, deeply politicized, and chronically corrupt. It has performed well in certain operations; overall, however, that is a rare phenomenon. Arguably, the primary reason for this state of affairs is the government’s persistent failure to invest in law enforcement reform and modernization. It is ironic that despite frequent internal crises since its inception in 1947, ranging from ethnic confrontations and sectarian battles to a sharp rise in criminal activity and growing insurgencies, both political and military policymakers have never given this sector top priority. Hence, poor police performance in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency is not surprising. The fact that the police successfully challenged some militant religious groups in Punjab and tackled an insurgency-like situation in Karachi in the late 1990s shows that they do have the potential to deliver the desired results when political support is present and resources are provided. Clearly, better policing standards and performance will add to the government’s credibility and establish its writ more effectively in areas that are currently slipping out of its hands. Learning lessons from what transpired in the NWFP in recent years especially in order to plan for any preemptive law enforcement actions in South Punjab, where banned local militant groups like Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are resurgent, is the need of the hour. This policy paper makes the case for international support for police reform in Pakistan to enhance its law enforcement and counterinsurgency capacities. The Obama administration's proposed $1.5 billion annual aid package for Pakistan for the next five years must also include sufficient resources for this sector. To build schools and hospitals, create jobs and spur economic development, security environment in Pakistan has to improve significantly. Police and civilian law enforcement agencies are the most appropriate institutions to spearhead that effort countrywide. Rule of law besides requiring requiring an effective criminal justice system and independent judiciary also needs a competent law enforcement infrastructure. If U.S. funds will make all that happen, it will correspondingly lead to its better image in Pakistan. Democratic institutions in turn will also benefit as their dependence on military for internal law and order duties will lesson. Details: Clinton, MI: Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, 2009. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.ispu.org/files/PDFs/ISPU%20-%20Police%20Reforms%20in%20Pakistan%20Report.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Counterterrorism Shelf Number: 126468 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Drug Use in Pakistan 2013: Technical Summary Report Summary: This technical summary report on drug use in Pakistan provides baseline information on the prevalence and patterns of drug use. Although several assessments of drug use have been carried out since 1982 in Pakistan, a more comprehensive study was required to understand the extent of drug use and substance misuse. In 2010, the Government of Pakistan Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) approved a contribution from the national development budget to support more complete research on the drug use situation. The information generated is intended to inform Federal and provincial governments, civil society, and private-sector organizations when designing and implementing effective drug demand reduction interventions including prevention, treatment, and care services that are targeted, responsive, and needs-led. Highly-stigmatized and illegal behaviours, such as drug use, can be extremely challenging to survey. Since any single direct or indirect method has inherent limitations in reliably estimating drug use prevalence, a multi-faceted approach was adopted where several methods were combined. National implementing partners conducted a total of four studies in 2012 covering all four provinces of Pakistan as well as Pakistan-administered Kashmir. A National Health Behaviour Survey (NHBS) based on a household survey approach was conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (n = 51,453). Three further studies were conducted by the Centre for Global Public Health Pakistan, University of Manitoba: an assessment of problem drug users (n = 3,330); an assessment of key informants (n = 1,196) and an assessment of selected drug treatment centres. The estimates generated refer to the annual prevalence of drug use or substance misuse. That is, the proportion or percentage of the population aged 15 to 642 who used any illicit substance in the past 12 months. Estimates for drug use prevalence were calculated independently for each drug type and a combination of two or more direct and indirect methods were used, including self-reported direct estimations, the multiplier-benchmark method, and the network-scale up method. After independent calculations were generated for each drug or substance, these were summed together with the overall figure adjusted to take into account poly-drug use. This report is a technical summary of findings detailing the extent of the drug use problem in Pakistan and the consequences of drug use. In consideration of the key findings, this report also details several steps which can be taken to reduce drug use and associated problems. A full report is currently under development and is due for release in the second quarter of 2013. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan/2013.03.01ab_Summary_Report_Drug_Use_in_Pakistan_SvdV_v1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Drug Abuse Control Shelf Number: 128153 |
Author: Mesoy, Atle Title: Poverty and Radicalisation into Violent Extremism: A Causal Link? Summary: The consensus in past research into terrorism and radicalisation into violent extremism (RVE) is that generally there is no link between poverty and radicalisation, and if such a link exists, it is a weak one. However, insufficient attention has been paid to how terrorism has changed over the last few years to become a phenomenon that frequently occurs in weak, conflict-ridden states. In these states, poverty seems to play an essential role especially with regard to the motivation of suicide bombers. In the case of Pakistan, a current hotbed of terrorism, little research has been done on this issue and what little research that has been conducted points in opposite directions. However, more recent research has concluded that RVE and terrorism have to be researched in each country/area where terrorism exists and conclusions cannot be generalised to all countries. There is reason to believe that there is a causal link between poverty and RVE, especially in countries such as Pakistan, where there are high levels of poverty and militant groups both recruit and supply social services, and where poverty-stricken young men have few livelihood options other than that of joining a militant group. Details: Oslo: Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Center, 2013. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: NOREF Expert Analysis: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.peacebuilding.no/var/ezflow_site/storage/original/application/e60a8a679f48427d592a1906daf569d4.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Economic Conditions and Crime Shelf Number: 128212 |
Author: Jehangir, Ahmad Ishaque Title: Challenges to Policing Terrorism in Pakistan Summary: In this paper, Ahmad Ishaque Jehangir, Deputy Inspector General of the Police Service of Pakistan, and a 2012-13 Humphrey Fellow, describes the range of challenges facing Pakistan's domestic security. Pakistan’s police force is underresourced, poorly trained, badly paid, low in morale, and viewed with suspicion. Terrorist attacks have escalated in the last decade, and law enforcement in Pakistan needs significant reform in order to effectively counter the increasing terrorism and insurgency that is gripping the nation. Details: Washington, DC: Police Foundation, 2013. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: http://www.policefoundation.org/sites/pftest1.drupalgardens.com/files/201305/Challenges%20to%20Policing%20Terrorism%20in%20Pakistan%20PF%20Report_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Policing (Pakistan) Shelf Number: 128893 |
Author: Perito, Robert M. Title: Empowering the Pakistan Police Summary: Summary •In Pakistan’s struggle against violent extremism, Pakistani police officers have sacrificed their lives to save others. Yet these acts of heroism have done little to alter the fact that most Pakistanis fear the police and seek their assistance as a last resort. •The origins of abusive police behavior are found in Pakistan’s colonial past. The basic police law and the organization of the police date from the period of British rule, as do the attitudes of police toward the public. •Pakistan’s initial response to violent extremism has been to create heavily armed antiterrorist units. The relationship between public support for the police and improved police effectiveness against terrorism has received less attention than it deserves. •Fortunately, the Police Service of Pakistan includes a group of talented senior officers who recognize that improving police-public relations is essential to halting extremist violence. These officers took innovative steps in their districts that brought increased public support. Unfortunately, these initiatives ended when the officers were transferred. •Institutionalizing successful innovations offers a means of improving police effectiveness against terrorism and criminal violence within existing legal authority and available resources. Such an effort would be an appropriate focus for international donor support. Details: Washington, DC: United State Institute of Peace, 2013. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 332: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Criminal Violence Shelf Number: 128896 |
Author: Penal Reform International Title: The Probation and Parole System in Pakistan: Assessment and Recommendations for Reform Summary: Alternatives to imprisonment in Pakistan have their legal basis at the pre-trial stage in the form of bail; at the sentencing stage with fines and probation; and at the post-sentencing stage with parole. Probation and parole are, however, underused, despite significant overcrowding in the country's prisons and widely accepted evidence globally that alternatives to imprisonment such as community-based rehabilitation programmes and restorative justice are more effective at reducing re-offending. Details: London: Penal Reform International, 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 28, 2013 at: Year: 2012 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration Shelf Number: 131490 |
Author: Title: Policing Urban Violence in Pakistan Summary: Endemic violence in Pakistan's urban centres signifies the challenges confronting the federal and provincial governments in restoring law and order and consolidating the state's writ. The starkest example is Karachi, which experienced its deadliest year on record in 2013, with 2,700 casualties, mostly in targeted attacks, and possibly 40 per cent of businesses fleeing the city to avoid growing extortion rackets. However, all provincial capitals as well as the national capital suffer from similar problems and threats. A national rethink of overly militarised policy against crime and militancy is required. Islamabad and the four provincial governments need to develop a coherent policy framework, rooted in providing good governance and strengthening civilian law enforcement, to tackle criminality and the jihadi threat. Until then, criminal gangs and jihadi networks will continue to wreak havoc in the country's big cities and put its stability and still fragile democratic transition at risk. Some of the worst assaults on religious and sectarian minorities in 2013 occurred in Quetta and Peshawar, including the 10 January suicide and car bomb attack that killed over 100, mostly Shias, in Quetta; the 16 February terror attack that killed more than 80, again mostly Shias, in Quetta's Hazara town; and the 22 September bombing of a Peshawar church that killed more than 80 people, mostly Christians. The provincial capitals of Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi and Lahore are bases of operations and financing for a range of extremist groups and criminal gangs that exploit poor governance and failing public infrastructure to establish recruitment and patronage networks. As urban populations grow, the competition over resources, including land and water, has become increasingly violent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)'s capital, Peshawar, and Balochistan's capital, Quetta, are hostage to broader regional security trends. The conflict in Afghanistan and cross-border ties between Pakistan and Afghan militants have undermined stability in KPK and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Military-dictated counter-insurgency policies, swinging between indiscriminate force and appeasement deals with tribal militants have failed to restore the peace, and instead further empowered violent extremists. Police in Peshawar, which has borne the brunt of militant violence and where violence is at an all-time high, lack political support and resources and appear increasingly incapable of meeting the challenge. Indeed, while militants and criminals frequently target that city, the force is powerless to act when they then seek haven in bordering FATA agencies, because its jurisdiction, according to the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) 1901, does not extend to these areas. Balochistan's location, bordering on southern Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban's homeland, and longstanding Pakistani policies of backing Afghan Islamist proxies are partly responsible for the growth of militancy and extremism that now threatens Quetta. Aided by a countrywide network, Sunni extremists have killed hundreds of Shias there, while their criminal allies have helped to fill jihadi coffers, and their own, through kidnappings for ransom. Civilian law enforcement agencies cannot counter this rising tide of sectarian violence and criminality, since they are marginalised by the military and its paramilitary arms. Continuing to dictate and implement security policy, the military remains focused on brutally suppressing a province-wide Baloch insurgency, fuelled by the denial of political and economic autonomy. The end result is more Baloch alienation and more jihadi attacks undermining peace in the provincial capital. In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, which generates around 70 per cent of national GDP, much of the violence is driven by the state's failure to meet the demands of a fast growing population and to enforce the law. Over the past decade, the competition over resources and turf has become increasingly violent. Criminals and militant groups attempt to lure youth by providing scarce services, work and a purpose in life. Demographic changes fuel ethno-political tensions and rivalries, accentuated by the main political parties: the mostly Sindhi Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) representing mohajirs and the predominately Pashtun Awami National Party (ANP) forging links with criminal gangs. Details: Brussels, Belgium: International Crisis Group, 2014. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report N255: Accessed January 27, 2014 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/255-policing-urban-violence-in-pakistan Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Extremist Groups Shelf Number: 131805 |
Author: Perito, Robert Title: A Counterterrorism Role for Pakistan's Police Stations Summary: Violence is escalating in Pakistan, both in its megacities and along the border with Afghanistan-from terrorism, to secessionist insurgency, to sectarian conflict, to ethnic turf wars. The police station and the police who staff it, despite their historic role as a symbol of government authority and responsibility for public order, are woefully ill prepared and ill equipped to meet these challenges. This report, part of a project to increase Pakistan's capacity to combat terrorism, explores the role police stations could and should play and suggests definitive steps to that end. Summary - Terrorism, secessionist insurgency, sectarian conflict, and ethnic turf wars have convulsed both Pakistan's major cities and tribal areas along the Afghanistan border. The escalation in mega-urban centers in particular has increased the importance of the police in controlling the endemic violence. - The police station retains both its historic role as the symbol of government authority and its position as the basic law enforcement institution responsible for public order, law enforcement, and police services. Yet police stations and personnel are ill prepared and poorly equipped to meet the challenges of the country's complex, urbanized, and increasingly violent society. - Pakistani police have found themselves on the front lines, and a growing number have given their lives to protect others in the struggle against terrorist and criminal groups. The need is now urgent to empower the police through a program of positive reform that would begin with modernizing police stations and reorienting and retraining their personnel. - An effective program for police station reform would begin with assigning primacy to the police for controlling terrorism. It would include developing new organizational structures, positions, and standard operating procedures to ensure that local police understand their enhanced role and mission. It would also include improving police-public relations and networking police stations into a national information-sharing network with anti-terrorist agencies. - Creating high-profile specialized units appears to offer a quick fix to a complex and increasingly pervasive problem. The real solution, however, lies in empowering Pakistan's police stations to protect their communities from criminal and extremist violence through modernization and reform. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2014. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 351: Accessed September 27, 2014 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR351-A-Counterrerrorism-Role-for-Pakistan%E2%80%99s-Police-Stations.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Shelf Number: 133452 |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Women, Violence and Conflict in Pakistan Summary: Eight years into its democratic transition, violence against women is still endemic in Pakistan, amid a climate of impunity and state inaction. Discriminatory legislation and a dysfunctional criminal justice system have put women at grave risk. Targeted by violent extremists with an overt agenda of gender repression, women's security is especially threatened in the conflict zones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). On 8 March, International Women's Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that his government would take all necessary legislative and administrative steps to protect and empower women. If this pledge was in earnest, his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government should end institutionalised violence and discrimination against women, including by repealing unjust laws, countering extremist threats, particularly in KPK and FATA, and involving women and their specially relevant perspectives in design of state policies directly affecting their security, including strategies to deal with violent extremist groups. Women in the past were the principal victims of state policies to appease violent extremists. After democracy's return, there has been some progress, particularly through progressive legislation, much of it authored by committed women's rights activists in the federal and provincial legislatures, facilitated by their increased numbers in parliament. Yet, the best of laws will provide little protection so long as social attitudes toward women remain biased, police officers are not held accountable for failing to investigate gender-based crimes, the superior judiciary does not hold the subordinate judiciary accountable for failing to give justice to women survivors of violence, and discriminatory laws remain on the books. Laws, many remnants of General Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation in the 1970s and 1980s, continue to deny women their constitutional right to gender equality and fuel religious intolerance and violence against them. Their access to justice and security will remain elusive so long as legal and administrative barriers to political and economic empowerment remain, particularly the Hudood Ordinances (1979), FATA's Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) (1901) and the Nizam-e-Adl (2009) in KPK's Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA). The government has a constitutional obligation and international commitments, including under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to combat gender inequality and remove such barriers to women's empowerment. Repealing discriminatory legislation and enforcing laws that protect women, including by ensuring that they have access to a gender-responsive police and courts, are essential to ending the impunity that promotes violence against women. The extent to which rights violations go unpunished is particularly alarming in FATA and KPK, where women are subjected to state-sanctioned discrimination, militant violence, religious extremism and sexual violence. Militants target women's rights activists, political leaders and development workers without consequences. The prevalence of informal justice mechanisms in many parts of Pakistan, particularly in Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, are also highly discriminatory toward women; and the government's indiscriminate military operations, which have displaced millions, have further aggravated the challenges they face in the conflict zones. In KPK and FATA, and indeed countrywide, women's enhanced meaningful presence in decision-making, including political participation as voters and in public office, will be central to sustainable reform. Pakistan should invest in their empowerment and reflect their priorities in all government policies, including counter-insurgency and peacebuilding efforts. All too often, women comprise a majority of both the intended victims of the insurgency and the unintended victims of the counter-insurgency response. National and provincial legislation to enhance protections for women is a step in the right direction, but much more is needed to safeguard them against violence and injustice and ultimately to consolidate Pakistan's democratic transition. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2015. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report N 265: Accessed May 21, 2015 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/265-women-violence-and-conflict-in-pakistan.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Extremist Groups Shelf Number: 135746 |
Author: Sawas, Amiera Title: Urbanization, Gender and Violence in Rawalpindi and Islamabad: A Scoping Study Summary: This scoping study is part of a research project entitled 'Gender and Violence in Urban Pakistan'. This is one of 15 projects being conducted across the world which form the larger Safe and Inclusive Cities Project (SAIC). Co-funded by the International Development Research Center in Canada (IDRC) and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), SAIC is directed towards understanding the drivers of violence in the urban areas of the global South so as to inform evidence-based policy making for safe and inclusive cities. This project, on urban Pakistan, focuses on the material and discursive drivers of gender roles and their relevance to configuring violent geographies specifically among urban working class neighbourhoods of Karachi and the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. The research is primarily concerned with investigating how frustrated gendered expectations may be complicit in driving different types of violence in urban areas. The project is also concerned with addressing first, the material aspects of gender roles through improved access to public services and opportunities, and second, discursive aspects of gender roles in terms of public discourse, education and media. The purpose of this scoping study is to bring together existing knowledge on the process of urbanization, and the interplay of gender roles, vulnerabilities, and violence in Pakistan. With an awareness of existing knowledge and knowledge gaps, the research team has been able to form a research protocol with a view to exploring known links and gaps in knowledge on the aforementioned themes. Methodologically, the study undertakes a review of the academic and policy related literatures, combined with a 3 month media analysis of selected print and online newspapers, television and radio which are relevant to national and local discourses about violence in Rawalpindi-Islamabad. By undertaking an analysis of such links between urbanization and violence, this study concludes that various types of urban geographies and the associated infrastructure therein enable or produce distinct forms of violence in Pakistan. In definitional terms, violence here is understood as the use of or threat of physical force in attaining particular aims. This understanding of violence allows an analytical distinction between 'violence as a product' and 'violence as a process'. An accompanying expansion of focus led to the inclusion not only of spectacular forms of violence (like terrorism), which is quite common in Pakistan, but also the much more common, persistent and understudied forms of everyday violence. Details: London: King's College London, Department of Geography, 2014. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Environment, Politics and Development Working Paper Series No. 67: Accessed August 14, 2015 at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/geography/research/epd/wp67Mustafa.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Gender-Related Violence Shelf Number: 136404 |
Author: Anwar, Nausheen H. Title: Urbanization, Gender & Violence in Millennial Karachi: A Scoping Study Summary: This scoping study is part of a research project entitled "Gender and Violence in Urban Pakistan". This is one of 15 projects being conducted across the world which form the larger Safe and Inclusive Cities Project (SAIC). Co-funded by the International Development Research Center in Canada (IDRC) and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), SAIC is directed towards understanding the drivers of violence in the urban areas of the global South so as to inform evidence-based policy making for safe and inclusive cities. This project, on urban Pakistan, focuses on the material and discursive drivers of gender roles and their relevance to configuring violent geographies specifically among urban working class neighbourhoods of Karachi and the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. The research is primarily concerned with investigating how frustrated gendered expectations may be complicit in driving different types of violence in urban areas. The project is also concerned with addressing first, the material aspects of gender roles through improved access to public services and opportunities, and second, discursive aspects of gender roles in terms of public discourse, education and media. The purpose of this scoping study is to bring together existing knowledge on the process of urbanization, and the interplay of gender roles, vulnerabilities, and violence in Pakistan. With an awareness of existing knowledge and knowledge gaps, the research team has been able to form a research protocol with a view to exploring known links and gaps in knowledge on the aforementioned themes. Methodologically, the study undertakes a review of the academic and policy related literatures, combined with a 3 month media analysis of selected print An accompanying expansion of focus led to the inclusion not only of spectacular forms of violence (like terrorism), which is quite common in Pakistan, but also the much more common, persistent and understudied forms of everyday violence. Details: London: King's College London, Department of Geography, 2014. 103p. Source: Internet Resource: Safe and Inclusive Cities: Accessed August 14, 2015 at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/geography/research/epd/wp66Mustafa.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Gender-Related Violence Shelf Number: 136409 |
Author: International Crisis Group Title: Revisiting Counter-terrorism Strategies in Pakistan: Opportunities and Pitfalls Summary: The 16 December 2014 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, which killed 150, mainly children, claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban Movement of Pakistan-TTP), was ostensibly a game changer. A week later, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) government unveiled a new counter-terrorism strategy, the twenty-point National Action Plan (NAP), with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Raheel Sharif vowing to target all terror groups without distinction. Six months later, amid continued terror attacks, the NAP looks far more like a hastily-conceived wish-list devised for public consumption during a moment of crisis than a coherent strategy. Reliance on blunt instruments and lethal force to counter terrorism risks doing more harm than good when they undermine constitutionalism, democratic governance and the rule of law and provide grist to the jihadis' propaganda mill. A reformed and strengthened criminal justice system is pivotal to countering terror threats and containing violent extremism. The militarisation of counter-terrorism policy puts at risk Pakistan's evolution toward greater civilian rule, which is itself a necessary but not sufficient condition to stabilise the democratic transition. While the report addresses the coercive side of a counter-terrorism policy and how to make it more efficient, without structural and governance reform, the root causes of terrorism and extremism will remain unaddressed, and violent jihadis will continue to exploit the absence of rule of law. The military's continual undermining of civilian authority since democracy's restoration in 2008 will remain a major challenge to meaningful and sustained reform. Yet, the political leadership also bears responsibility for failing to push back and, as a result, undermining its credibility and authority. After inaugurating the NAP on 24 December, the Sharif government implemented two major demands of the military without delay: lifting the predecessor government's 2008 moratorium on the death penalty; and passing on 6 January 2015 the 21st constitutional amendment, empowering special military courts to try all terrorism suspects, including civilians. Yet, the vast majority of the 176 executions since late December have been for crimes unrelated to terrorism, and the military courts weaken constitutional protections and due process. Other newly-created parallel structures, including provincial "apex committees", enable the military to bypass representative institutions and play a more direct role in governance. Armed with new legal tools, the military has further marginalised civilian institutions in devising and implementing counterterrorism policy. Despite claims to the contrary, the military, which has almost complete control over national security and counter-terrorism policy, also still distinguishes between "bad" jihadi groups, those targeting the security forces, and "good" jihadi groups, those perceived to promote its strategic objectives in India and Afghanistan. Anti-India outfits such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JD), the renamed version of the banned Lashkare- Tayyaba (LeT), have even expanded their activities through so-called charity fronts. Military-backed Afghan insurgents, such as the Haqqani Network, have not been targeted in ongoing operations in the North Waziristan agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Instead, the Haqqanis, like the LeT/JD, have been kept off Pakistan's list of terrorist groups. Details: Brussels: International Crisis Group, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Asia Report No. 271: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/asia/south-asia/pakistan/271-revisiting-counter-terrorism-strategies-in-pakistan-opportunities-and-pitfalls.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Counter-Terrorism Shelf Number: 136632 |
Author: Haque, Raheem Ul Title: Youth Radicalization in Pakistan Summary: Amid the serious threat of extremism within Pakistan's large young adult population, author Raheem ul Haque explores the process of youth radicalization and recommends how policymakers can best confront the growing challenge. Summary -- - Pakistani leaders face serious domestic extremism challenges; more than 47,000 thousand lives have been lost in terrorism-related violence in Pakistan over the past decade. - Effective counter-radicalization processes must take into account Pakistan's large young adult population (ages 15-29), which collectively accounts for at least 30 percent of the overall population. - Youth radicalization in Pakistan can be understood as the product of an exclusively Islamic identity - meaning a majority of youth identify primarily through their religion over nationality - combined with a broader reactive movement comprised of militant, political and missionary organizations. - A variety of religious, political and militant organizations operating within Pakistan, some with the tacit or active support of the state, have fostered an enabling environment for radicalization and at times violent action. Some groups provide forums for interaction and connections with more militant actors, while others carry out the whole range of social, political and violent activity. - When radical groups can popularize an exclusive Islamic or sectarian identity, even nonviolent organizations can become connected or aligned with more radical organizations and concepts. - Confronting youth radicalization in Pakistan requires a holistic approach that supports political, social and educational alternatives to exclusionary Islamic identities, reducing the space for groups that espouse violence in the name of an exclusive Islamic identity. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2014. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Peace Brief 167: Accessed September 21, 2015 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB%20167_Youth_Radicalization_in_Pakistan.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Extremism Shelf Number: 136849 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: Female Drug Use in Pakistan: Mapping Estimates, Ethnographic Results and Behavioural Assessment Summary: This study is a part of the overall operational research which includes mapping and size estimation of female drug users, which forms the first key step in developing targeted interventions for this highly vulnerable key population. The results of this mapping study will assist in understanding the drug using scenario among female populations, which will ultimately form a baseline for service provision based on which service providing organizations will develop targeted interventions within a specific geographical setting. In addition to identification of geographical areas where these populations congregate, this study also provides valuable information on overall drug use situation in the targeted communities, economics of drug use, treatment history, criminal justice history, availability of treatment services and various religious and cultural barriers to accessing information and services among the target group. The entire approach focused around involvement of the target community individuals, peer groups and key stakeholders of the project. Although data was collected by an independent research team, the project staff including peer group was involved in the data collection process. The basic approach was largely based on a geographic mapping approach which identified key locations where key population members were found and quantified. In addition to identifying the key locations, individual drug users were contacted through peer group members and supplemented by tracing contact chains from identified drug users to reaching other drug using females in a given location. This study was conducted in all cities where subsequently a service delivery programme through the project "HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care for FDUs and injecting drug users", was to be placed. After distributing each target site into zone, information on drug using populations was collected through Tertiary and Secondary Key Informants in each Zone to generate a list of Spots where FDUs could be found in this phase. Various drug treatment centers and rehabilitation programs in each city were also visited to obtain contacts of FDUs in that community. Pharmacies were also visited and information was gathered about various females, who have been buying non prescription drugs regularly. In addition locations where drug users could be found including graveyards, open spaces, shrines, darbars etc., were also visited. The basic objective in Phase one was to develop an exhaustive list of all FDUs in all zones within each city, which was later validated in Phase 02, by visiting each spot and interviewing female drug users and asking for contacts of their peers involved with drug use. Once contact information for other FDUs was provided by a subject, the social mobilizers along with the field team members traced that subject, and an interview with that subject was subsequently conducted. The mapping study was followed by behavioral assessment, and the main data collection strategy involved face to face in-depth interviews of randomly selected FDUs in each site. A total number of 1,391 interviews were conducted in all 13 cities under study, and information obtained through these interviews was recorded in a pre-designed, pretested questionnaire. Data management was done by the data management team, and questionnaires after field editing were double entered in a data base designed in MS Access. Data set was thoroughly edited and cleaned, and data analysis was conducted using statistical software SPSS version 12.00. A total number of 3,538 interviews were conducted with both Secondary and Primary Key Informants. Based on the data collected during Phase I and validated in Phase II, an estimated number of 4,632 FDUs spread over 2,479 locations were estimated in the 13 cities where mapping was conducted. As expected, the highest number of FDUs was estimated to be 1,213 in Karachi, followed by Lahore and Faisalabad, where the numbers were 593 and 511 respectively. On an average 1.8 - 1.7 FDUs were reported from a single location, and 65.2% of the locations reported having a single FDU present. Unlike male drug users who congregate and use drugs with other drug users, drug use is a discreet, hidden and more of an individual activity for female drug users. Charas was the most common drug used by FDUs all over the country and 28% of the interviewed drug users reported that they used it in the last one month. Bhang was the next drug of choice reported, which was used by 14.2% of the FDUs interviewed. A fairly high proportion of females (13.6%) also reported to be using Heroin, while use of Pharmaceutical drugs was reported by 12.6% of drug users. Our study confirmed the available anecdotal information, that injecting is not a common route of drug intake among drug using females. A total of 71 female injecting drug users (FIDUs) were identified among the total estimated number of 4,632 FDUs, which calculated a prevalence of 1.5% of IDU among female drug users. Further to this, injecting drugs was reported from only 05 cities out of the 13 cities surveyed. For behavioral assessments, a total number of 1,391 interviews were conducted. The mean age of the FDUs who participated in this study was reported to be 32.8 - 9.6 yrs (median 32 yrs), while the maximum proportion (nearly 72%) of the drug users were between 21 to 40 yrs of age. Majority of the FDUs were illiterate; 66% of the FDUs interviewed did not receive any formal schooling. Nearly 60% of the interviewed females were currently married, while 15.6% reported to be never married. The remaining 24% were either widowed, or divorced/ separated from their husbands and were living separately. Ninety one % of the subjects interviewed belonged to the same city where they were interviewed and the majority was Punjabi speaking (45.3%). Charas (Hash) was the most common drug used by FDUs all over the country and 58% of the interviewed drug users reported using it ever and also in the last six months. 42% reported that they had used it in the last month as well. Pharmaceutical drugs were the next drugs of choice followed by Heroin and Bhang. The behavioral data is in agreement with the results of the mapping study conducted in phase one, which also showed similar results on drug use and injecting drug use, which was reported from only 05 cities, with very few numbers of females reported to be injecting drugs. 41.5% of the injectors reported that they had been injected daily, while another 32% informed that they have injected at least once a week in the last 6 months. Although 30% of the injectors have been injecting alone, the remaining had been injecting in groups with other IDUs. Nearly half of the subjects informed that they had been sharing syringes with other IDUs. The mean age of 1 sexual intercourse was reported to be 18.5 - 3.7 yrs. A fairly high proportion were reported to be sexually active, with high numbers of sexual partners in the last 6 months (4.9 - 16.2), suggesting they were sexually involved with a fairly large number of men. 13.5% of the FDUs reported to have sex with another male IDUs, and 25% reported selling sex for drugs or money. Only 3.7% reported that they always used a condom during the last 6 months. Approximately 44% of the FDUs interviewed had ever heard of the disease called HIV/AIDS. Knowledge of sexual intercourse as a mode of transmission of the disease was prevalent among 40% of FSWs, but only 22% knew that HIV can be transmitted by sharp instrument/needles and syringes. 19.5% knew that HIV can spread through blood transfusion, while knowledge of mother to child transmission was still lower (9.8%). While the correct knowledge of HIV transmission was fairly low, a few misconceptions about transmission of HIV were also reported. While 17% of the respondents interviewed were aware of where they could be tested for HIV, nearly half of those had been tested for HIV. Thirty one % of the FDUs interviewed knew that there are diseases which spread because of sexual intercourse. A very low proportion (13.2%) of the respondents reported that they have been treated at least once for drug use. The maximum proportion of drug users informed that they utilized private clinical facilities for treatment. This was followed by treatment services provided by NGOs and government hospitals which were 32% and 31% respectively. Nearly 11% of the FDUs interviewed that they have tried home based treatment for drug use as well. 73% of the respondent suggested that they need to be treated and showed a willingness to participate in a treatment program if offered. Only 4.3% of the respondents reported that they were arrested for reasons such as drug use (60%), drug pushing (30%), sex work (5%) and other minor petty crimes (5%) e.g., theft etc., This study addressed some of the critical issues related to women drug use, which have not been dealt adequately in previous research conducted in Pakistan. Apparently, the problem drug use in women might appear insignificant and trivial when comparing the numbers of female drug users to the enormous number of male drug using populations in the country. However, drug use occurrence among women has an impact that goes beyond the individual and affects the entire social network of families with greater negative impacts on children. Based on the conclusions of this research, an effective targeted response is necessary in order to promote safer behavior, improve access to effective health and social services, and to address the underlying structural and occupational dimensions of vulnerability. More research is warranted to gain more in depth understating of the populations, conduct more reliable size estimations and recognize the personal, environmental and social factors which lead to drug use among women. Efforts to minimize the stigma should be given high priority. Activities which involve and facilitate collective actions, such as developing associations/unions and networks, and involving the media in a positive way should be encouraged. Families of FDUs should be focused to provide support for treatment and rehabilitation. Legal assistance should be provided to FDUs to manage drug offences, petty crime and issues of violence and harassment. There is a need to broaden the focus of existing service delivery programs to address a broad and long-term perspective, and should incorporate "community based" and "women-centered" approach. The provision of Drug abuse treatment services, comprehensive harm reduction services through developing drop in centers, and providing outreach services through use of female outreach workers should be the broad focus of these services. Special emphasis should be laid on meeting the mental health needs of the target population. Depression, isolation and a feeling of being useless is a fairly commonly characteristic shared by most women. While efforts are needed to improve the mental state of the individual, family members especially spouses need to be focused to provide a supporting mechanism for the recovering FDUs. There is a need to building the right capacity within implementing organizations which equips the staff and resource personnel to deal with the issues of drug use among female using a professional and technical approach. Finally, a monitoring and evaluation framework is desired, followed by development of tools which are more user friendly and less punitive. The entire monitoring system should be managed by a management information system to provide timely and cost effective information for decision making, and effective management of the a.m., project in a systematic and timely manner. Details: Islamabad: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan, 2010. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 17, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//female_drugs_use.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Shelf Number: 137308 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: The Socio-Economic Impact of Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in Pakistan Summary: Pakistan's population as of July 2011 is estimated at 187.3 million, with an annual estimated growth rate of 1.5 per cent, comprising 52 per cent male and 48 per cent female with more than 50 per cent being youth between 15 and 29 years of age. Pakistan is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast, with sea borders to the south. It is a federation of four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa), a capital territory (Islamabad), and two semi-autonomous regions (FATA and Gilgit-Baltistan), and the Pakistan administered portion of Kashmir. Pakistan has faced numerous economic, social and security challenges since 2007, commencement point of this research. These combined factors are matter of an acute concern for the law enforcement agencies provide the ideal environment for transnational organised crime networks to flourish and exploit weaknesses in the system. The impact is not limited solely to the human costs relating to the extreme suffering and dehumanization of the individuals who are trafficked but also poses serious governance risk within the wider region. This has a direct detrimental effect on the state structures arrayed against corruption and organized crime. It also poses a threat to the economic development of the country. Pakistan is a source, transit and a destination country for human trafficking and migrant smuggling. The problem manifests itself within the country and across borders. In Pakistan, Sindh and Punjab remain a source of concern with high instances of bonded labour in agriculture, brick making and other industries. In response to migrant smuggling and human trafficking issues, the Government of Pakistan has taken important steps in developing strategies to combat these crimes and protect the rights of victims. In 2002, the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance (PACHTO) was enacted. This was followed by the development of a National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking, as well as establishment of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and Circles under the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Details: Islamabad: UNODC - Pakistan, 2014. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 17, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan/The_Socio-economic_impact_of_human_trafficking_and_migrant_smuggling_in_Pakistan_19_Feb_2015.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Border Security Shelf Number: 137312 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: Females Behind Bars: Situation and Needs Assessment in Female Prisons and Barracks Summary: The Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) has listed prisoners among the four most 'at risk and neglected populations' in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The 2006 report states that "Prisons are sites for illicit drug use, unsafe injecting practices, tattooing with contaminated equipment, violence, rape and unprotected sex. Prisons are often overcrowded, have limited access to healthcare, offer poor nutrition and have high rates of airborne and blood borne diseases. Particularly women make up a very small proportion of the prison population in Pakistan and they are faced with much greater challenges than men in accessing healthcare. UNODC Pakistan, through one of its projects initiated HIV prevention services for female prisoners. The project contains significant importance as is only the project targeting female prisoners in the country. Data was collected in 09 female prisons and barracks across the country, where the project was being implemented. All females who were admitted to a female prison within the study period formed the study population. To be eligible for participation, a woman should be an inmate in one of the targeted prisons, be of 18 years of age or older, irrespective of her drug using status and risk behaviors and was willing to provide an informed consent for participation in the study. A total number of 375 subjects was calculated to be the final sample size for this study. The preliminary data available from the project suggested that a more or less 400 female prisoners existed in the prisons. Owing to the small number of female prisoners reported from these target prisons, no strict inclusion or exclusion criteria were used and all available prisoners who showed a willingness and provided consent to participate, were included in the study. Data collection was preceded by a pre-survey phase, which lasted for a couple of weeks. The supervisory staff in prisons was contacted by the field teams and were explained the objectives of the study to ensure their involvement in the study. This phase focused on answering any concerns of the prison staff and address any of their apprehensions about the study and confidentiality of data. Data collection lasted for a period of 6 weeks. The team members were lead by the project psychologist, who played a key role in data collection. Data were collected on a predesigned format which was developed through a consultative process between the project staff, the UNODC technical team and the research consultant. Data was collected in a secure room (project's counseling room) separate from the prison's main building and provided enough privacy for the interviews to be conducted smoothly without any interference. The questionnaire was of a structured format, developed to gather information on various socio-demographic, prison related information and personal characteristics of the individual herself. After the questionnaire information was collected, the interviewer answered any questions that participants had raised and registered with the project for future follow-up. After editing, all questionnaires were rechecked using a software designed in MS Access for data entry. Analysis was done using the statistical software package, SPSS version 12.0 (statistical package for social sciences). Since prisons have peculiar characteristics regarding exertion of rights, the numerous ethical issues such as voluntary participation, taking informed consent, and measures to ensure and maintain participants' confidentiality were taken into consideration during the entire length of this study. A total number of 359 interviews were conducted for this study, within the time allocated for data collection. The average age of prisoners across all prisons was reported to be 35.2 years - 12.6 (median = 32), with little variability between different prisons. The maximum proportion of prisoners interviewed were illiterate (68%) and more than half of the prisoners interviewed were married with children. Half of the women interviewed shared in the family expenses by providing some sort of financial support. 4% of the women interviewed were non Pakistanis; the maximum numbers of non-Pakistani women interviewed were from Zambia. Of the 359 women prisoners interviewed, an astounding 59% of the women were reported to be under trial. A remaining 31 (8.6%) were detained while the remaining 32.6% (117) were convicted. The maximum proportion of women was imprisoned due to crime such as murders (40%), and drug related offenses. These included using as well as possession of illegal drugs. Another issue of concern is the high number of women who were imprisoned on account of commercial sex work. Upon further inquiry 23.7% of the women stated that they had ever been imprisoned for drug related offenses, while another 15.6% informed that they had been imprisoned for commercial sex work. A fairly large proportion of women had been tobacco smokers before imprisonment and nearly half of them continued smoking even within prisons. In addition a substantial proportion of the overall female prisoner population indicated use of psychotic drugs before being imprisoned, but did not continue their drug using habit, as drugs were not available in prisons. Of the 359 women interviewed, only 22 (6.1%) reported that they had ever injected any form of drug. Further inquiry into drug injecting practices revealed that all these injections took place among the women were imprisoned. Forty five (12.5%) of the total women interviewed stated that they had faced some form of sexual harassment while in prison (not rape). Multiple sex partners were notified, with sex between various prisoners being the most common form of consensual sex seen in prisons. 52% of the women interviewed informed that they had heard of HIV and AIDS. Knowledge of sexual intercourse as a mode of transmission of the disease was prevalent among 27.3% of the women interviewed and 42% knew that HIV can be transmitted by sharp instrument/needles and syringes. 49% knew that HIV can spread through blood transfusion, while knowledge of mother to child transmission was found to be 26%. One fifth reported to have experienced an STI in the past 06 months, while 18% received proper treatment for these infections. An evaluation of the prison environment showed that unlike male prisons, overcrowding is not reported to be an issue in female prisons. The hygiene conditions in all prisons visited were far from ideal. The sanitation facilities available for prisoners varied according to various prisons or barracks. The number of wash rooms ranged from 3 to 4 prisoners per wash room to 60 prisoners per wash room in one of the larger prisons. Only one of the prisons visited had safe drinking water available for the prisoners. All prisons other than two had tap water available for 24 hours, however the water was not purified leading to various water borne diseases. While women prisoners were reported to keep their children with them in prisons, it is also worth mentioning that there were no child care facilities in any of the prison evaluated. Inadequate medical facilities were reported by female prisoners from nearly all prisons. Although doctors are available in all prisons, but the diagnostic and treatment facilities were found to be far from satisfactory. No measures to deal with the mental health issues were reported to be provided by the prison authorities. In all prisons, psychologists were made available through UNODC supported project. The psychological problems reported are depression, stress, mental illness, attention seeking behavior, sleep disorder and generalized anxiety. No recreational facilities are available except television, which was available in only 2 prisons. No indoor games or activities to keep the prisoners involved were seen in any of the prisons visited. Based upon the results of this study, a series of key principles and actions are recommended, to promote principles of public health, improve the mental state of health of the confined, and prevent the spread of HIV and other communicable diseases in prisons. These services should include the provision of basic determinants of health such as adequate nutrition, clean drinking water, sanitation facilities, provision of an adequate gender-sensitive and interdisciplinary mental healthcare and provision of drug dependence treatment options for prisoners with problematic drug use. Comprehensive education and awareness of HIV/AIDS and ways to prevent HIV transmission, with a special reference to the likely risks of transmission within prison environments should be provided to both Prisoners and prison staff. Prison systems should provide easy access to voluntary HIV testing and counseling, which should be easily accessible to all prisoners. While HIV, HCV and HBV testing is continuously done in most prisons under the project supported by UNODC, it is strongly recommended that TB testing should also be initiated in prisons. Some basic child health services including nutrition, immunization, basic health care needs can be provided by the project as part of the holistic support program. Women should be provided access to legal counseling and provision of legal aid if desired, to access lawyers and follow up their cases in courts. Every effort should be made to develop positive partnerships with the higher prison authorities and the prison staff for every initiative undertaken. Details: Islamabad : United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan, 2011. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//female_behind_bars_complete_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Female Inmates Shelf Number: 137338 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea in Pakistan: A Review of National Laws and Treaty Compliance Summary: Irregular migration, especially in the form of migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and associated criminal activities such as money laundering, document fraud, and corruption, are of imminent concern to Pakistan. Recent reports confirm that Pakistan is simultaneously a sending, transit, and destination point for smuggled migrants. Smuggling of migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident. Virtually every country in the world is affected by these crimes. The challenge for all countries, rich and poor, is to target the criminals who take advantage of desperate people and to protect and assist smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life. In response to the emergence of migrant smuggling, the Government of Pakistan has taken some action to develop national strategies to prevent and suppress this crime. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), as the country's chief national law enforcement agency, has the mandate to prevent and suppress migrant smuggling and is in a unique position to comprehensively combat this phenomenon, along with associated crime such as money laundering, document fraud, and corruption. UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the guardian of the United Nations (UN) Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrant by Land, Air, and Sea (the Migrant Smuggling Protocol)1 and the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. UNODC leads international efforts to comprehensively prevent and suppress migrant smuggling and protect smuggled migrants. UNODC's Country Office in Islamabad stands ready to assist Pakistan's authorities in their efforts. To this end, in August 2010, UNODC requested the services of independent experts to assess the compliance of national laws and regulations in Pakistan against the requirements of international law and international best practice relating to the smuggling of migrants. The purpose of this report is to identify domestic laws, regulations, and policies in Pakistan relating to migrant smuggling and assess them against the requirements articulated in international law and the standards set by international best practice guidelines. Based on this assessment, recommendations for law reform, policy change, and for further analysis are made. Details: Islamabad : United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan, 2011. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//2011.10.00_Laws_relating_to_Migrant_Smuggling_in_Pakistan_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Smuggling Shelf Number: 137339 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan Title: Pakistan's law enforcement response to the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. Summary: This report assesses the legal frameworks, law enforcement strategies, capacities, and methodologies pertaining to migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons in Pakistan, focusing specifically on the mandate, organisation, and operations of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency. The report identifies, maps, outlines, and explores existing law enforcement responses and assess these against international law requirements and against the standards set by international best practice guidelines. This report reveals strengths of existing arrangements and identifies areas where further development or reform may be needed. This report shows that Pakistan has solid policy, legislative, and organisational frameworks to combat trafficking in persons and, to a lesser degree, the smuggling of migrants. The Government of Pakistan has to be commended for setting up a National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking in 2004 and enacting the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance two years earlier. This report shows enforcement mandates pertaining to trafficking in persons, especially those of the FIA, are sufficiently clear and are supported by relevant enforcement powers. Legislative and law enforcement frameworks for migrant smuggling are not well developed or, as confirmed by other reports, non-existent and concerns remain over ongoing confusion between migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons in Pakistani law and by Pakistani authorities. Pakistan is also not a Signatory to the United Nations Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air, and Sea and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. Pakistan has, however, signed the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. Pakistan's relatively sound policy, legal, and organisational frameworks are, however, not matched by consistent implementation and execution; words are often not followed by actions. This assessment has found major deficiencies in the training of FIA personnel and in the facilities and equipment used by and available to FIA investigators and front-line officers. Most FIA officers working in units charged with investigating migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons obtain no training at all and frequently lack the most basic equipment to carry out their duties. FIA facilities in local areas are often in poor condition and lack reliable electricity supplies. Practical mechanisms for the protection of smuggled and migrants and, in particular, victims of trafficking in persons are, for the most part, non-existent, under-developed, or are only addressed in very rudimentary and ad-hoc ways. Also of concern are deficiencies in inter-departmental cooperation, national coordination, human resources, case management and data storage, information and evidence gathering. Details: Islamabad : United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Country Office Pakistan, 2011. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//2011.10.00_Pakistans_Law_Enforcement_Response_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Smuggling Shelf Number: 137340 |
Author: Ahmed, Noman Title: Public and private control and contestation of public space amid violent conflict in Karachi Summary: Few cities in South Asia have been affected by violence more than Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and economic centre. This working paper examines the impacts of the city's declining security situation on the control and contestation of public space. It focuses specifically on the efforts of public and private actors to protect themselves through the widespread use of physical barriers as a form of conflict infrastructure. To help provide a way forward, recommendations are presented for planning and managing barriers more effectively and equitably, and for supporting alternative means of security for the poorest and most insecure groups. Particular attention is paid to the city's ethnic and religious/sectarian politics and the limited capacity of the authorities, and their difficulties in maintaining neutrality in attempting to intervene. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development, 2015. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: IIED Working Paper: Accessed January 28, 2016 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/10752IIED.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Public Safety Shelf Number: 137701 |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Recent trends of human trafficking and migrant smuggling to and from Pakistan Summary: Pakistan is a destination, transit, and source country for smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. It has taken some important steps in combating these transnational crimes, including the promulgation of domestic legislation such as the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance also known as (PAC HTO) in 2002 as well as establishing Anti-Human Trafficking Units and Circles under the jurisdiction of the Federal Investigation Agency. However, migrant smuggling and human trafficking remain issues of concern. 1.1 Smuggling of migrants to Pakistan The best estimate of irregular migrants to Pakistan puts the population at more than four million. Afghans are the largest group at approximately 2.7 million, followed by the combined population of Bengali, Bangladeshi, and Burmese nationals at more than one million. However, Pakistan as a destination country for irregular migration is not a new phenomenon. Irregular migration to Pakistan has two key features: historic and protracted. Approximately 74 per cent of all Afghan nationals in the country were born in Pakistan, and 80 per cent of Afghan households arrived in Pakistan before 1985. Similarly, a majority of the Bengali, Bangladeshi, and Burmese nationals arrived prior to 1997. The number of new arrivals of irregular migrants is very small when compared to the existing population in Pakistan. The attractiveness of Pakistan as a destination country has declined due to its political and economic circumstances. Border management and interdiction of new arrivals will only have limited impact on the regulation of the existing population of irregular migrants. As such, Pakistan must explore ways to regularise and regulate the status of the existing irregular migrant population. UNODC recommends to the Government, in cooperation with UNHCR to find long-term solutions for the Afghan population in Pakistan, particularly as the Proof of Registration Cards for 1.6 million Afghans expired on 30 June 2013. In addition, with UN assistance, the Government should also find solutions for the combined Bengali, Bangladeshi, and Burmese population, including stateless people. 1.2 Smuggling of migrants from Pakistan Pakistani nationals are among the ten most-detected nationalities that attempt irregular migration to the European Union (EU) and Australia. At the same time, Afghans are also one of the most detected nationalities for irregular migration. The number of Afghan nationals using smuggling networks to enter the EU and Australia far exceeds the number of Pakistanis. However, the migration patterns of the two populations are entangled, and both populations use the same routes and smuggling networks. Moreover, Pakistan is a key transit country for Afghans. To enter the EU, Pakistani and Afghan nationals predominantly use the Eastern Mediterranean Route, by both land and sea. Pakistani, Afghan, and Bangladeshi nationals have reported they rendezvous in Iran and travel in a mixed group to the EU through Turkey and then Greece. Pakistani and Afghan nationals both feature prominently on the Western Balkans Route for secondary movement within the EU and the Schengen Zone. Both have also been detected in significant numbers along the sea route from Greece to the southern Italian regions of Apulia and Calabria. The vast majority of Pakistani and Afghan nationals attempt to enter the EU through blue and green borders. The number that attempts clandestine entry at border check posts is low. Irregular migrants appear to use a combination of tactics; clandestine crossing of blue and green borders and legal entry or exits at border check posts using legitimate but fraudulently obtained documentation. The volume of migration appears to be sensitive to push factors in the countries of origin. For example, the 2010 floods in Pakistan appear to have led to an exceptional spike in the volume of EU migration in 2011 by Pakistani nationals. Moreover, the routes used for smuggling of migrants appear to be responsive to changing interdiction and border control tactics. For example, improved land interdiction led to an increase in the use of sea routes. Changing status of a country - such as accession to EU membership - also has an impact on the routes used. With the recent economic downturn in the EU, particularly in Greece, Spain, and Italy, it is anticipated that some secondary movement by Pakistani and Afghan nationals will be detected as they seek better economic opportunities. Although the number of Afghan irregular migrants far exceeds the number of Pakistanis, more Pakistanis are found to use fraudulent documentation. Further, more Pakistanis are detected as facilitators of smuggling. This suggests that the smuggling networks are more organised and sophisticated in Pakistan, and that both Pakistani and Afghan nationals use Pakistani networks. In addition, the European Union raised concerns about the increased use of legitimate but fraudulently obtained documentation. As an island country, almost all irregular migrants to Australia arrive by sea from Indonesia. The number of irregular maritime arrivals from Afghanistan also far exceeds the number from Pakistan, but both populations are of concern to Australia. Again, smugglers use a combination of tactics; irregular migrants often exit Pakistan on valid passports and visas, and then travel by air to Malaysia or Thailand. From there, they travel clandestinely over land and sea to Indonesia, from where they attempt the final segment of the journey to Australia by sea. The majority of Pakistani and Afghan nationals that attempt irregular migration to Australia by sea are religious or ethnic minorities. They lodge protection applications on arrival and their claims have had an extremely high rate of acceptance, demonstrating that they have legitimate and compelling flight reasons. Members of the community tend to view smugglers as providing a necessary service to help them escape the persecution they suffer in their countries of origin. Smugglers that operate on this route appear to be well established and known to the community. They do not appear to recruit, but find business through word of mouth recommendations from successful migrants. Intending migrants approach the smugglers proactively. Businesses that claim to be visa consultants are often involved in smuggling rings. Facilitators and agents generally have ties to the migrant community and have often attempted or succeeded on the same route. Visa consultants often operate as fronts for smuggling networks. Therefore, UNODC recommends that the Government of Pakistan considers implementing regulation of visa consultancies Details: Islamabad: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), July 2013. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2016 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan//2013.12.26_Research_Report_HTMS_COPAK_HTMSS_Designed_for_printing.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Smuggling Shelf Number: 137571 |
Author: Aqil, Nauman Title: Residents' perceptions of neighborhood violence and communal responses: the case of two neighborhoods in Lahore, Pakistan Summary: The preponderance of violence in metropolises has been a persistent concern for successive governments in Pakistan. However, it is pertinent to remark that there are often significant variations in the occurrence of violence between physically and socially similar neighborhoods in a single city. I set out to study one more violent and one less violent neighborhood in Lahore, Pakistan, to try to understand how community organizations, physical characteristics and the residents' strategies for crime prevention and control are related to different levels of criminal violence. A qualitative approach was used (in-depth interviews were conducted with community residents in each neighborhood). I found that spatial dynamics, population heterogeneity, and a lack of social cohesion were important predictors of criminal violence. It was noted that patterns of social interaction among neighbors have undergone significant change over the past few decades. In addition, local strategies of informal social control were limited to random vigilance, settlement of sporadic disputes within community settings, and surveillance of children's activities. I concluded that indigenous means of informal social control can help prevent, or at least control, criminal violence in neighborhoods Details: Beilefeld, Germany: Universitat Bielefeld, 2015. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Violence Research and Development Project, Papers, no. 1: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/icvr/docs/aqil.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Communities and Crime Shelf Number: 139374 |
Author: Adil, Kamran Title: How is Police Violence Legitimized in Pakistan? Summary: People come into contact with the criminal justice system in Pakistan largely through the police, and therefore, much of the outcome of the system is dependent on the interaction among the different components of the system. The police functions that are assigned by the law can broadly be divided into riot control and investigation of criminal cases categories. Whereas the use of force for riot control is sanctioned by the law - with some limitations, it is totally prohibited for the purposes of investigation. Nevertheless, police violence is regularly applied in the second category and it is prevalent in three forms: (a) the use of force to extract evidence for prosecution, (b) the use of force as a police strategy by undertaking extrajudicial killings to control crime, and (c) the use of force to ensure compliance with the orders of courts, especially in the suo motu jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Through interviews with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and police officers, the research shows that with all three forms of violence, interactions between the various parties involved in the criminal justice system of Pakistan legitimize the use of force. Details: Bielefeld, Germany: Universitat Bielefeld, 2015. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Violence Research and Development Project - Papers - No. 9: Accessed June 11, 2016 at: http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/icvr/docs/adil.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Deadly Force Shelf Number: 139375 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "What Are You Doing Here?" Police Abuses Against Afghans in Pakistan Summary: Pakistan has hosted several million Afghan refugees since the late 1970s, but hostility toward its Afghan population increased dramatically after the so-called Pakistani Taliban attacked a school in Peshawar in December 2014, killing more than 100 children. At a time when thousands of Afghans are fleeing insecurity in their country to seek refuge in Europe, pressure and abuse by Pakistani police has driven many Afghans living in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan. "What Are You Doing Here?" describes how Pakistani police have carried out raids on Afghan settlements, arbitrarily detained, harassed, and beaten Afghan men, extorted bribes, and threatened Afghans with deportation. Those abuses have since January 2015 driven large numbers of Afghans living in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan, where they face worsening instability and a widening civil conflict. Every Afghan interviewed by Human Rights Watch who had returned to Afghanistan said that fear of the Pakistani police was the reason they had done so. This report is based on interviews with 96 Afghans either living in Pakistan or recently returned to Afghanistan. It urges the Pakistani government to extend residency cards for registered Afghans, which are due to expire on December 31, 2015, until at least the end of2017. It also calls on Pakistan to stop security force intimidation and violence against Afghans living in Pakistan. Details: New York: HRW, 2015. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/pakistan1115_4up.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 139844 |
Author: Schloenhardt, Andreas Title: Irregular migration and associated crime in Pakistan: a review of the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) training programmes Summary: This report reviews existing training programmes on irregular migration and associated crime offered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and develops recommendations to enhance the training of FIA officers and other law enforcement personnel in this field. Irregular migration, especially in the form of migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, and associated criminal activities such as money laundering, document fraud, and corruption, are of imminent concern to Pakistan. Trafficking in persons is the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. Smuggling of migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident. Virtually every country in the world is affected by these crimes. Recent reports confirm that Pakistan is simultaneously a sending, transit, and destination point for smuggled migrants and trafficked persons. Domestic trafficking, especially of women and children, is also of ongoing concern. The challenge for all countries, rich and poor, is to target the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), as the country's chief national law enforcement agency, has a mandate to prevent and suppress trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling and is in a unique position to comprehensively combat these phenomena, along with associated crime such as money laundering, document fraud, and corruption. In response to the emergence of migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, the Government of Pakistan has taken decisive action to develop national strategies to prevent and suppress these crime types and protect the rights of victims. In 2002, a Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance was enacted. This was followed by the development of a National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking and the creation of an Anti-Trafficking Unit within the FIA. UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, is the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air, and Sea. UNODC leads international efforts to comprehensively prevent and suppress migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons and protect the victims of these heinous crimes. UNODC's Country Office in Islamabad stands ready to assist Pakistan's authorities in their efforts. Details: Pakistan: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan/2011.10.00_Irregular_Migration_Associated_Crime_in_PakTNA_of_FIA_Academy_fin.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Smuggling Shelf Number: 139856 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "This Crooked System": Police Abuse and Reform in Pakistan Summary: Pakistan's police are among the most widely feared, disparaged, and least trusted government institutions in the country. The poor, and other vulnerable or marginalized groups, invariably face the greatest obstacles to obtaining justice in a system that is rigged against them. "This Crooked System": Police Abuse and Reform in Pakistan documents custodial torture, extrajudicial executions, and other serious human rights violations by the Pakistani police. The report also details the difficulties that victims of crime and police abuse face in obtaining justice, including police demands for bribes, biased investigations, and refusals to register complaints. Colonial-era police laws facilitate routine interference by local politicians and wealthy landowners in police operations. The report also examines human resource, financial, and other constraints that police say impact their ability to function properly, and looks at examples of good police practices that may serve as models for the future. Human Rights Watch urges the Pakistani government to investigate and appropriately discipline or prosecute police officials responsible for human rights violations and undertake necessary legal and policy reforms to transform the police into an accountable, efficient, and rights-respecting institution. Details: New York: HRW, 2016. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/pakistan0916_web.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 145444 |
Author: Parvez, Tariq Title: The Islamic State in Pakistan Summary: - The Islamic State, or Daesh, formally established its Khorasan branch for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and nearby areas in January 2015. - There is currently no evidence of Daesh's central leadership directing terrorist activities in Pakistan, but its ideology has inspired individuals and groups to recruit, raise funds, and carry out attacks to demonstrate their support. - Daesh's far-reaching ideology -- which includes opposition to the Shia minority, the Pakistani state, and the West, and support for a global Islamic Caliphate - can make it appealing to both existing and potential militants in Pakistan. - A comprehensive response to this threat by the Pakistani government would include greater security cooperation with Afghanistan, the elimination of terrorist safe havens, prioritizing police training in national counterterrorism strategies, and promoting programs to counter Daesh's dangerous ideology. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2016. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Peace Brief 2013: Accessed October 17, 2016 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/PB213-The-Islamic-State-In-Pakistan.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Extremist Groups Shelf Number: 145074 |
Author: Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency Title: Police System in Pakistan: Position Paper Summary: In Pakistan, the crisis of law and order has worsened over the years. Unfortunately, the primary law-enforcing agency of Pakistan has been deemed as progressively incapable of managing its increased obligations, especially in overcoming serious crimes and combating terrorism. The Police in Pakistan suffer from much criticism for their inefficiency, public dealing, and are often accused of corruption and politicisation. Since independence, there has been no real or significant progress to reform and restructure the police system inherited from colonial times. Very few attempts at reform have been made thus far, which have also been criticised as outmoded and ineffective on the ground. A case in point is the Police Order of 2002, promulgated on 14 August 2002, which replaced the more than century-old Police Act of 1861 in all four provinces of Pakistan. However, this promulgation does not extend to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) or Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). This Position Paper highlights specific crippling elements of the implementation machinery of the police system that include: politicisation in the process of induction and promotions, budget constraints, and weak infrastructure amongst others. The few civil society initiatives taken by NGOs in police reform and in addressing the stigma of this institution in Pakistan has contributed towards raising awareness of policing practices and performance, exposing misconduct and calling for transparency and effective accountability of police, as well as championing reform. However, despite all efforts on the ground, the desired reforms can only be initiated at the policy level through a dedicated strategy for reform which accounts for key variables such as structure and balance of power between federal and provincial governments, and between provincial and local governments; role of institutions such as judiciary, military, and political parties in administrative affairs of the country; the role of public prosecutors and defence lawyers; the leadership of police at a particular point in time; and, attempts towards strengthening the legitimacy of police from an adversarial institution to one enjoying community and public confidence. The Position Paper provides a set of recommendations to bring about reforms in the police system of Pakistan. The policy of 'putting the customer first' would certainly improve confidence of the public and portray an evident commitment to augment standards of public safety and police accountability. This would require the police leadership to lead and manage to achieve, at the very least, the following key objectives: 1. Security of tenure to police key appointment holders 2. De-politicisation of police 3. Adequate provision for strategic capacity building of police 4. Substantial change in the work ecology of police, especially for lower ranks 5. Adequate police budget 6. Transformation of police from a public-frightening force to a public-friendly service organisation It is pertinent to re-organise this institution so that it may become politically neutral, non-authoritarian, accountable and approachable by the community, proficiently well-organised, and, last but not least, an effective instrument of the Rule of Law. Political will and strong-minded police leadership is crucial to complete this journey of reforms. Details: Islamabad: PILDAT, 2015. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2017 at: http://www.pildat.org/Publications/publication/ROLR/PoliceSystemofPakistan_PositionPaper.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Police Agencies Shelf Number: 146984 |
Author: Karmaliani, Rozina Title: Understanding intimate partner violence in Pakistan through a male lens: Summary: ntimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health and human rights issue in Pakistan, and is rooted in a wider context of stark gender inequality. There are few detailed studies on IPV in Pakistan, and even fewer which engage with men and boys. This report aims to address evidence gaps by drawing on primary research from 2016 to understand the multi-level drivers of male perpetration of IPV in Pakistan, including the relative importance of conservative gender norms. It investigates how broader political-economy dynamics shape attitudes, behaviours and service provision related to IPV, and the associated implications for policy and practice to strengthen responses to the issue. The findings discussed in this report are part of a broader regional study of the perpetration of IPV by men and boys across South Asia. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2017. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 31, 2017 at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/11398.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Abusive Men Shelf Number: 144675 |
Author: Justice Project Pakistan Title: Death Row's Children: Pakistan's Unlawful Executions of Juvenile Offenders Summary: Like 160 countries in the world, Pakistan has enacted legislation prohibiting the sentencing and imposition of the death penalty against juvenile offenders - persons who commit crimes before turning eighteen years of age. However, despite this prohibition, hundreds of suspected juvenile offenders (potentially up to 10 percent of Pakistan's death row population have been sentenced to death. On 16 December 2014, the Government of Pakistan lifted a six-year de facto moratorium on the death penalty. Since then, at least 6 juvenile offenders have been executed despite credible evidence showing them to be underage at the time of the alleged crime. This report documents the many ways that Pakistan's juvenile justice system fails its juvenile offenders and results in the Government of Pakistan's unlawful and arbitrary implementation of the death penalty against juvenile offenders. The violations highlighted in this report compel the conclusion that even though the Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that no executions of juvenile offenders have taken place, the lack of implementation of protective safeguards and protocols particularly whilst conducting age determination investigations means that juvenile offenders continue to be executed. Details: New Haven, CT: Justice Project Pakistan, ALLARD K. LOWENSTEIN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC, YALE LAW SCHOOL 2017. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 14, 2017 at: http://www.jpp.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/JPP-Final-Edited.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Capital Punishment Shelf Number: 144903 |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "Dreams Turned into Nightmares": Attacks on Students, Teachers, and Schools in Pakistan Summary: Pakistan faces major challenges to education because of factors such as poor access, low enrollment rates, gender bias, lack of trained teachers, and poor physical infrastructure. Exacerbating those challenges, however, is Islamist militant violence that has disrupted the education of hundreds of thousands of children, particularly girls. "Dreams Turned Into Nightmares" documents attacks by armed militants from January 2007 to October 2016 that have destroyed school buildings, targeted teachers and students, and terrorized parents into keeping their children out of school. The report also finds instances of educational institutions occupied by state security forces, political groups, and criminal gangs. The report is based on interviews with teachers, students, parents, and school administrators in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Pakistan's national and provincial governments need to recognize that they have a responsibility to protect children and their right to an education. The report examines and highlights the inadequate response by Pakistani authorities in protecting children and educational professionals and failing to prosecute those responsible for attacks. Human Rights Watch urges Pakistan to endorse the international Safe Schools Declaration and recommends specific measures that the government should take to protect children and their right to education. Details: New York: HRW, 2017. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2017 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/pakistan0317_web_0.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Human Rights Abuses Shelf Number: 145238 |
Author: Justice Project Pakistan Title: A Summary: On December 17, 2014, Pakistan lifted a seven-year moratorium on the death penalty. Coming in the wake of the tragic terrorist attacks on the Army Public School in Peshawar, the resumption of executions initially applied only to individuals convicted of terrorist offenses. Yet within several months and without public justification, the Interior Ministry lifted the moratorium for all death-eligible crimes. As a result, more than 8,000 individuals are now at risk of execution, many for offenses that are ineligible for capital punishment under international law. Since ending the moratorium, Pakistan has executed more than 400 people, bringing the country's annual rate of executions to the highest point in its history and making it the "third most prolific executioner in the world." In the twenty months since the lifting of the moratorium, the Government of Pakistan has carried out 418 executions. This means that an average of 6 executions have been carried out every week since the death penalty was reinstated, with the highest number of executions taking place in the province of Punjab. Whilst there is no confirmed figure for Pakistan's total death row population, in December 2014, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Law and Justice stated that there were 8,261 prisoners on death row in Pakistan. Therefore, thousands of prisoners remain at risk of imminent execution. Initially, in December 2014, executions were reinstated for terrorism-related offences only. In March 2015, however, the Government - without any public justification - bought back the death penalty for all capital offences. Thereafter, from December 2014 to March 2015, the Government executed a total of 24 people, or an average of 2 per week. That rate more than doubled in March 2015 to over 5 per week, when executions were also resumed for non-terrorism cases. In the period March 2015 to September 2016, the Government has executed an alarming total of 393 people. Pakistan's resumption of executions has drawn sharp criticism from international actors. On June 11, 2015, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said, "[t]he idea that mass executions would deter the kinds of heinous crimes committed in Peshawar in December is deeply flawed and misguided, and it risks compounding injustice." That same week, the European Union delegation mission to Pakistan urged its government "to reinstate the moratorium immediately to commute the sentences of persons sentenced to death" in order to comply with its international legal 9 10 obligations. British and German officials have also urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision. Pakistan's imposition of the death penalty is, at its core, arbitrary. To begin with, Pakistan does not reserve the death penalty for the "most serious crimes," as required by international law, but instead imposes execution for commonplace offenses, such as kidnapping and drug-trafficking. Second, Pakistan's justice system is ridden with deficiencies and abuses of authority. Police routinely coerce defendants into confessing, often by torture, and courts admit and rely upon such evidence. Poor defendants must rely on attorneys who typically provide only cursory and ineffective representation. Once sentenced, defendants lack effective recourse to post-conviction relief, even in the face of new exonerating evidence. Finally, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 offers even fewer safeguards than the ordinary criminal justice system and has the effect of fast-tracking convictions. Each of these failings constitutes a human rights violation in itself; taken together, they reveal an unreliable system that is fundamentally incapable of administering the ultimate and irreversible penalty of death. As the cases examined in this report illustrate, the systemic problems described above fall most heavily on Pakistan's most vulnerable members - the poor, juveniles, and persons with mental illness and development and intellectual disabilities. This report, written by the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School (Lowenstein Clinic) in partnership with Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), documents the many ways in which Pakistan's application of the death penalty is in breach of its obligations under international law. In 11 analyzing Pakistan's use of the death penalty, the authors focused on "crucial cases" that exemplify the numerous international law violations and that illustrate the particularly damaging impact of these violations on certain vulnerable populations: juveniles, the mentally ill, and persons with physical disabilities. Relying on public records for a dozen of JPP's clients sentenced to death, the report tracks the many junctures at which violations occur, from charging to sentencing to execution. Several of the individuals selected have been executed since research for this report began. The systemic violations illustrated in this report compel the conclusion that Pakistan's continuing practice of capital punishment violates international law. The irreversible nature of execution mandates the immediate reinstatement of the moratorium on all executions. Yet a moratorium alone will not suffice. Today, Pakistan continues to sentence to death persons who are juveniles, mentally ill, or very likely innocent. What procedural safeguards exist in theory are largely ignored on the ground. Given the multi-level failings of its criminal justice system, Pakistan should suspend indefinitely all capital sentencing and launch investigations into those cases marked by allegations of juvenility, mental illness, the use of torture and other abuses of authority, and evidence of innocence. Details: New Haven, CT: Justice Project Pakistan, ALLARD K. LOWENSTEIN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC, YALE LAW SCHOOL 2016. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2017 at: https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/center/schell/2016_09_23_pub_dp_report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Capital Punishment Shelf Number: 145352 |
Author: Bate, Roger Title: Large Cigarette Tax Hikes, Illicit Producers, and Organized Crime: Lessons from Pakistan Summary: With the stated aim of increasing revenue and discouraging smoking, Pakistan raised tobacco duties over the past five years. The result empowered illicit actors, with a flourishing of illicit production and smuggling of cigarettes. Revenue rose initially, only to fall back as untaxed products proliferated. While organized crime and local production interests were the big winners, smoking rates have remained largely unchanged. Pakistan's authorities have tried to resolve the problem through better enforcement and lowering of duties for certain products, but overall the lesson learned is that rapid duty increases have significant negative effects that are difficult to reverse when illegal supply cannot be controlled. Details: Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute, 2018. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 8, 2018 at: https://www.aei.org/publication/large-cigarette-tax-hikes-illicit-producers-and-organized-crime-lessons-from-pakistan/ Year: 2018 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Cigarettes Shelf Number: 151466 |
Author: Duvvury, Nata Title: Economic and Social Costs of Violence Against Women and Girls: Pakistan Summary Report Summary: This report summarizes the key findings of the What Works to Prevent Violence: Economic and Social Costs project relating to Pakistan. It provides an overview of the social and economic costs of violence against women and girls (VAWG) to individuals and households, businesses and communities, and the national economy and society. Findings show the heavy drag that VAWG imposes on economic productivity and wellbeing, and the need to invest urgently in scaling up efforts to prevent violence. Details: Galway, Ireland: Social Policy and Development Centre, NUI Galway, Ipsos Mori, and International Centre for Research on Women, 2019. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2019 at: https://www.whatworks.co.za/documents/publications/304-pakistan-summary-report-web/file Year: 2019 Country: Pakistan Keywords: Abused Women Shelf Number: 156004 |