Human rights body accuses State of giving legitimacy to proscribed outfits

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious concerns over participation of firebrand militants and fourth schedulers belonging to the banned (Deobandi takfiri) outfits in electoral contests and apprised Chief Election Commissioner’s authorities of their concerns in this regard, recently.   

At a press conference, IA Rehman, Hina Jilani, Nasreen Azhar and Marvi Sirmed spoke on the issue as people from various walks of life attended the conference and asked questions about the challenges to the election which will be held on July 25.The HRCP’s media talk was under the theme of monitoring the national election 2018 at a hotel in Islamabad on Monday. 

IA Rehman, while addressing the press conference, warned that undemocratic forces were trying to manipulate the upcoming elections but the people of Pakistan on July 25 will ultimately decide which party forms the government.

All those elements that are trying to undermine the supremacy of parliament, independent media and 18th Amendment will be defeated by the people.

The speakers further warned that banned outfits have reappeared on the electoral arena under different names, lamenting that the state has conferred political legitimacy on them by allowing them to contest the elections. “That their campaigns have consistently misused religion to peddle a dangerous, divisive rhetoric is cause for serious concern.”

HRCP demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) scrutiny process be revisited to determine why such candidates’ nomination papers were accepted without further investigation.

Political space ceded to ban outfits has emboldened militant groups. This is painfully clear from the carnage wrought in Peshawar and Mastung last week, which has now claimed almost 175 lives in suicide attacks, including that of two political candidates Haroon Bilour of the Awami National Party and Siraj Raisani of the Balochistan Awami Party. 

Marvi Sirmed while addressing the press conference, told that a firebrand militant of schedule four were free to contest elections in a single day; the assets of the firebrand were open in day by the state as their assets were seized since long. She added that no one answering who banned them and who permit them to contest elections are clear signs of the transparency of the election this month.

The HRCP reaffirmed that the public perception that all parties have not been given equal freedom to run their election campaigns, should know that candidates from parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Pakistan People’s Party and Awami Workers Party have reported being harassed by law enforcement and security personnel during their campaigns, their movement monitored or restricted without good reason and their election banners removed en masse, again reportedly by security personnel. HRCP urges the ECP to monitor police treatment of different parties and to ensure that all candidates are given a level playing field. 

Arguing on the freedom of campaign, one member of the HRCP added that the 2013 episode is repeating once again in 2018 but this time the intensions are serious and should be in focus of every Pakistani for the sake of democracy and freedom.

HRCP condemned what it called the recent crackdown on print and electronic media and censorship.