EDITOR

sian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org) 
 
Dear Sir's 
 
PAKISTAN: State sanctioned attack on justices, lawyers and activists challenging the emergency 
 
I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the plight of court justices, lawyers and human rights activists who have been under house arrest and detained after the state of emergency was imposed on November 3. I trust that you are aware of the events in Pakistan as this has been widely reported.  
 
I particularly draw your attention to the unlawful arrest and detention of 46 court justices and 3,500 lawyers all over the country. One of those placed under house arrest is Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftekhar Choudhry. Some of these justices and their children on regular medication have been denied of treatment as a result of their arrest. They were not allowed to contact their physicians and some of the houses of justices had their supply of water cutoff. 
 
As you are aware, the hundreds of lawyers from different places all over the country were arrested for demonstrating against the state of emergency. They were brutally beaten in public and tear gas was used against them by security forces. Some of the female lawyers in detention were detained in toilets of the police station. They too were denied the right to be visited by their relatives and their families. 
 
It is shocking that justices, lawyers and human rights activists have instead been targeted by security forces rather than "extremists" or "terrorists", of which the imposition of emergency should have been based upon. This has instead affirms the military government's intolerance to the maturing judicial independence and rule of law in the country. By suspending the Constitution and systematically attacking agents of the judicial institutions and civilian institutions, the country has been pushed towards lawlessness. 
 
With the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Pakistan now no longer functioning and the government's established institutions now ceasing to operate independently, it has left the victims of violations no remedies at all. I am deeply concerned by the further risk of torture and maltreatment these lawyers and those persons detained will have to suffer. Pakistan has had records of systematic and routine uses of torture as a form of investigation and punishment by their security forces.  
 
To deny the fundamental rights of persons, particularly by unlawfully arresting and detaining them and threatening their right to life by denying them access to medical treatment, is completely unacceptable. There are certain rights to which the government must afford its people, regardless of the existing condition. This, however, ceased to exist there with the state-sanctioned persecution of justices, lawyers, activists and its critics. 
 
Furthermore, I urge you to demand for the unconditional release of the justices, lawyers, activists and persons arrested and under detention. Those under house arrest and in detention should be treated humanely pending their release. The state of emergency should be lifted without further delay, in order for established civilian institutions to function, particularly in addressing the enormous violation of human rights in recent times. 
 
I trust that you will take appropriate action over these concerns.

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