HRW indicts Pakistan for abetting terror

Srinagar: On the day when Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh asked Pakistan not allow its territory to be used for militant activities, international human rights watchdog ‘Human Rights Watch’ indicted Islamabad for providing militants with training, weapons, funding and sanctuary.

In its  156-page report on human rights situation in the state titled Everyone Lives in Fear. Patterns of Impunity in Jammu and Kashmir, New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said there is considerable evidence that over many years Pakistan has provided Kashmiri militants with training, weapons, funding and sanctuary.

“Under pressure from the US after 9/11, Pakistan banned several militant groups including Jaish-e-Mohommad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, but these groups continues to operate after changing their names… Pakistan remains accountable for abuses committed by militants that it has armed and trained”, the HRW said.

Indicting militants for committing grave human rights violations, the HRW report said from the early days of the conflict the militant organisations fight for “independence of accession with Pakistan” have committed grave human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.

“Although independent figures are not available, militants attacks are believed to have resulted in the loss of thousands of civilian lives”, the report said.

“These abuses only add to the suffering of the people in whose name the militants are ostensible fighting”, said Brad Adams, Asia Director at HRW, who released the report here.

Human Rights Watch recommended Pakistan to stop providing arms, finance sanctuary and training to militant groups.