President Dr Arif Alvi Sunday said that torture was a crime against humanity and the situation was particularly grim in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), where the people were being subjected to brutal torture by the Indian security forces.
“Although torture was prohibited under both international and national laws, it still happened all around the world. I reiterate that torture remains unacceptable and unjustified at all times,” the president said in a message on the occasion of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. “While recognizing the pain of the victims of torture, as well as their families, I urge the international community and concerned organizations to make all possible efforts to prevent torture, rehabilitate victims and provide redress to them,” the president emphasized.
On the International Day being observed on June 26, the president highlighted that all people possessed basic human rights, and human dignity was one of the fundamental rights.
“The Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 holds the dignity of man inviolable and states that no person shall be subjected to torture,” he added.
Over the years, the president said, Pakistan has shown its commitment towards eliminating the practice of torture. In 2010, the Government of Pakistan ratified the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) in 2010.
The UNCAT prohibited torture in unequivocal terms and urged states to penalize those who committed acts of torture, he said, adding since then, the government had been making progress.
“We now have a bill criminalizing the acts of torture before the legislature. Once passed, Pakistan would have a law that criminalizes torture and punishes those who inflict it,” the president maintained.
Meanwhile, President Alvi stressed upon focusing more on the education and skill sets improvement of the country’s youth bulge, besides creation of more space to the womenfolk in the mainstream of economy. During a conversation premiered live on YouTube, the president said that the world had been moving at a faster pace with regard to latest development in information and technology sector and the research and knowledge. “Pakistan must immediately board on that fast moving train of information and knowledge,” he said urging the country’s political leadership and parliamentarians to focus more on education and human resource development.
The president opined that an intellectual and smart leadership was must to take a country on the path of progress and development by equipping youth with the latest education and by making investment upon enhancement of the human resources. The president said the country was producing about 27,000 IT graduates whereas in India the numbers of IT graduates stood around 800,000. The president cautioned that if this huge youth and women bulge of the country was not properly utilized, then they would become an elderly bulge.
