20 October 1999 Commonwealth states have vital role in reaffirming human rights protection As the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group prepares to meet on Monday to discuss the current political situation in Pakistan, Amnesty International urges members of the Commonwealth to exert all possible influence on the new regime in the country to improve the human rights situation. The military coup should serve as a wake-up call to the international community about the degree of chaos and violence in Pakistan. The lives of millions of women in Pakistan are circumscribed by traditions that enforce extreme seclusion and submission to men. Traditional perceptions of honor severely limit some of the most basic rights of women in Pakistan. Every year in Pakistan hundreds of women, of all ages and in all parts of the country are reported killed in the name of honor.
Many more cases go unreported.
Reports of extrajudicial executions have risen from all provinces and the use of the death penalty, often imposed by special courts following procedures not commensurate with international standard for fair trial, has spiralled. Women, children and ethnic and religious minorities have suffered persistent discrimination and inadequate protection. Corruption and lack of accountability at all levels of the state have further contributed to massive human rights violations committed with virtual impunity. During Nawaz Sharif's tenure, civil society came under increasing pressure as democratic institutions were weakened and the rule of law increasingly disregarded. One of his first moves was to remove the president s powers to dismiss the government and to make it mandatory for parliamentarians to vote in accordance with party policy.