Pakistan rejects U.S. report on human rights (AP) Updated: 2006-03-11 14:08
Pakistan rejected on Saturday a U.S. State Department report that said the
government of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf had a poor human rights record.
Pakistan's foreign ministry called the report "unwarranted" and said Pakistan
was committed "to the promotion and protection of the rights of all segments of
society."
The report on human rights conditions during 2005 was released Wednesday,
only days after U.S. President George W. Bush visited Islamabad and praised
Musharraf for Pakistan's efforts in fighting terrorism.
"We reject the contentions made in the report regarding our political
process, freedoms available under the law and our Constitution, functioning of
state institutions, and general conditions relating to the rights and status of
women and minorities," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the report lacked objectivity and had failed to recognize
steps the government had taken to promote and protect human rights.
Pakistan, a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, has long been
accused by international and domestic groups of violating rights and restricting
political parties and the media.
The State Department report gave many examples of what it described as rights
abuses, and said the Pakistani government's human rights record was "poor, and
serious problems remained."
It referred to restrictions on the right of citizens to change their
government, unlawful killings, torture, rape, poor prison conditions, lack of
judicial independence, harassment, intimidation and arrest of journalists.
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