Friday, June 11, 2010
Taliban figheters (photo: AP)
Amnesty International has accused the government of Pakistan of turning its back on four million of its citizens by leaving them under the rule of the Taliban. In its new report (As if Hell Fell on Me: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan), the human rights group says Pakistanis living in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the northwest part of the country are essentially under the control of Taliban warriors. Amnesty described the FATA as a “human rights free zone” where torture and killings take place against those who challenge the Taliban’s authority. The report also said the region has more than one million refugees “in desperate need of aid.”
Although the Pakistani Taliban are separate from the Afghan Taliban, the two have worked together more closely in recent years. It is estimated that the Pakistani Taliban hold 2,500 locals in detention. They have also stationed fighters in schools and other public areas, leading U.S. drone attacks to increasingly cause civilian casualties. In 2008 and 2009, 26 of 49 drone attacks killed Pakistani civilians.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
Four Million Living under Taliban Rule in Pakistan (Agence France-Presse)
As if Hell Fell on Me: The Human Rights Crisis in Northwest Pakistan (Amnesty International) (pdf)
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