Pakistan: The brutal assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti

Pakistan: The brutal assassination of Minister Shahbaz Bhatti exposes
the nexus between the security agencies and the Taliban

(The Asian Human Rights Commission deplores the cold blooded murder
of Minister Bhatti)

Pakistan, the Asian Human Rights Commission and the world at large
has lost a great advocate in the cause of human rights in general and
religious minorities in particular by the brutal assassination of Mr.
Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister for Religious Minorities. Mr.
Bhatti, the only Christian minister, was shot to death while traveling
in his official car on March 2 in Islamabad exactly two months after
the murder of Salman Taseer, the former governor of Punjab. The
linking cause behind these two high profile assassinations was their
support of the proposed amendments to the blasphemy laws.

From his early years, before he took up his ministerial duties Mr.
Bhatti was a true human rights defender and activist who fought for
the religious freedom of all persons. He was a humanitarian that
believed in a hands-on approach to his work and was not afraid to be
seen visiting, speaking to and supporting others who were fighting in
their own way.

His assassination shows how barbaric the blasphemy laws really are in
that they make no effort to maintain peace and order but rather
encourage religious extremists who are fully aware that the government
of Pakistan will take no real action against them. This was made
evident by their lack of action against the pamphlets distributed by
unknown persons calling for the assassination of anyone opposed to the
blasphemy laws. The fact that they were distributed in the Minister's
neighbourhood shows a well planned and premeditated attack on him.

The Taliban elements in Pakistan made open threats, not only against
Mr. Bhatti but also against any person or persons who support the
proposed amendments to the blasphemy laws. These threats have been
made publicly, but as is typical the government has not instructed the
authorities to arrest and detain the people concerned. Rather they
have chosen to continue their policy of appeasement which has now led
to the death of another good man. Prior to his assassination Mr.
Bhatti reported several death threats to the relevant authorities. In
fact, on January 27, 2011 the Daily Jang, the largest circulated
newspaper in the country reported that according to intelligence
reports Shahbaz Bhatti would be the next target of the Taliban after
Salman Taseer. It therefore speaks to the most unbelievable negligence
of the police and the security agencies that no specific action was
taken to provide additional security. Instead the police officer
responsible for Mr. Bhatti's security, Wajid Durrani, Islamabad's
police chief, has shifted the burden of responsibility on Mr. Bhatti
himself by stating that the security detail was withdrawn on the
Minister's instructions. A claim which he cannot support with any
documentary proof.

It has been observed that in recent high profile assassinations there
has been a considerable connection with the police to the
perpetrators. This was plainly evident in the assassination of Salman
Taseer who was shot dead in the presence of his security detail by one
of his own police guards. Similarly in the case of Benazir Bhutto the
police officer responsible for her security was removed by higher
officials shortly before her assassination. The response to her death
by the military government, then under Musharraf, was that it was her
own fault for placing herself in danger.

There is an alarming nexus between the Taliban, extremist religious
forces and the police and security agencies which denies the victims
their right, guaranteed by the country's Constitution of protection.
This nexus also ensures that no impartial investigations will ever see
the light of day. Police reforms were halted during the reign of the
military government and despite the fact that Pakistan is now under a
civilian government the reforms have not yet started. This is because
the government itself has no control over the military and security
agencies. This lack of control and command responsibility has allowed
militant and religious extremists to infiltrate their ranks.

Even parts of the media have been used to instigate support for
religious intolerance and hatred towards supporters of amendments to
the blasphemy laws and secular thinking. They have used their
facilities to glorify the killers as in the case of Mumtaz Quadri, the
assassin of Salman Taseer who was feted as a hero. Even the attitude
of the higher courts shows no support for the amendments to the
blasphemy laws in that they have given verdicts that the parliament
should not continue with the amendments. They also turn a blind eye to
the blatantly illegal use of mosque loud speakers to spread the
messages of hatred and make no effort to implement the law which has
been in existence since 2004.

The assassination of Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister for
Religious Minorities, marks a dark day in the history of Pakistan. The
AHRC has repeatedly called upon the government to take action against
persons and groups calling for the death of anyone supporting the
amendments to the blasphemy laws and to leave behind, once and for
all, its appeasement policy towards the religious extremists. It is
this very policy which results in the political expediency that allows
the government to live in peace with the religious extremists and
militant elements in the country.

The Asian Human Rights Commission calls upon the government of
President Zardari to initiate an immediate and impartial investigation
through an independent commission into the death of Mr. Shahbaz
Bhatti. This must be done to bring justice to the many persons killed
and harmed by religious intolerance and to reveal to the international
community that it is the government, not the extremists or security
agencies that is in charge.

The government must also take strenuous and immediate efforts to form
a high powered commission to purge the police and security agencies of
the Taliban elements and religious extremists. Reforms of the policing
system are the most important need of the day.

The government must also stand firm on the amendments to the
blasphemy laws before more good men and women are killed while they
look on. In this respect protection must be provided to Ms. Sherry
Rehman, the former Minister for Information who proposed the
amendments to the blasphemy law in 2010 and who is the next person on
the assassination list of the Taliban.

ENDS

© Scoop Media