HRW demands transparent investigation into Shahbaz Gill’s torture allegations

NEW YORK: Demanding an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the torture allegations by PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Wednesday urged Pakistan to legislate and make torture a crime.

The global rights body mentioned the claims of PTI alleging torture of Imran Khan’s chief of staff to extract confession against the party chairman.

The police, however, have denied the charges. Gill was arrested on August 9 after a sedition case was filed against him for inciting mutiny in the Pakistan Army.

In a statement today, the HRW demanded an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the torture allegations by the PTI leadership.

It said that Pakistan’s Senate should urgently pass a bill that would make torture a criminal offence which was passed by the National Assembly on August 1, 2022.

The Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, which, if enacted into law, will for the first time criminalize torture by security forces. The bill has been sent to the standing committee and can be considered as early as in the next Senate session later in August.

“The first step to ending Pakistan’s endemic torture problem is to criminalize it,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

“Justice and accountability in cases of torture will only be possible if parliament passes the torture bill and the government enforces the law by carrying out transparent and impartial investigations into torture allegations.”

It said that the HRW has long documented the widespread use of torture and other ill-treatment by the police during criminal investigations.

Criminal suspects from marginalized groups are at particular risk of police abuse, the watchdog said, adding methods of torture include beatings with batons and littars (leather straps), stretching and crushing legs with roola (metal rods), sexual violence, prolonged sleep deprivation, and causing severe mental anguish, including by forcing detainees to watch other people being tortured.

Allegations of torture in political cases need to be investigated by authorities independently of the political interests of the governing authorities, Human Rights Watch said.

During previous governments, there have been numerous credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment of political opponents or critics of the government.

The use of torture in political cases has received recent attention, the HRW said.

“By passing the torture bill, Pakistan will start a long-overdue process of reform to ensure that future allegations of torture are transparently investigated and that those responsible held accountable,” Sifton said.