Pakistan:7,170 persons killed in different acts of violence

AHRC-STM-225-2013
December 3, 2013

A Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission

Pakistan: During the last eleven months 7,170 persons were killed and 8,746 were injured in different acts of violence

The killings were the outcome of bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, sectarian violence, targeted killings, operations by law enforcement agencies and US drone attacks

During the year up to November 30 there were hundreds of incidents of sectarian violence, target killings, terrorist attacks, suicide bombings and the killings by armed forces and intelligence agencies, and of course, killing through US un-manned Drone attacks. It is reported that 7,170 persons lost their lives and 8,746 were injured. In the US Drone attacks 188 persons including foreign terrorists were killed whereas 6,982 persons were killed in sectarian violence and other incidents of target killings and bomb blasts.

Due to the absence of the rule of law and the impotency of the courts, Pakistan has become a killing field where the militants, the Taliban and Muslim fundamentalist, banned sectarian organizations, extortionists and the security forces operate with impunity. For each of these factions, and even the civilian rulers, there is no sense of dignity, respect for life or justice for their victims who are innocent Pakistanis. The victims are seen as nothing more than cannon fodder for their ulterior motives. The right to life has lost all meaning to the ruling class who was elected by the people they are now failing to protect.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has compiled the incidents of violence from January 1 to November 30, 2013. Please find the breakdown of these incidents with the numbers of casualties. The data is collected from different sources of the media including newspapers, electronic media and also from Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

Please find here and here two attachments of the data compiled by AHRC

Since the rise of militancy in Pakistan not a month goes by without innocent people being sacrificed to the war on terror. The courts, prosecution and the investigation authorities are so afraid of the militants that they turn a blind eye to the killings while enjoying and demanding increases in the budgetary allowances to maintain their offices. In this situation the state has shown itself to be impotent when it comes to protecting the lives of the people they have sworn to protect. The only response from the President, the Prime Minister and the ministers is, predictably, nothing more than messages of condolence to the victims and their families in an effort to mollify them. The lives of women and children are of no importance to these functionaries that are happy to quote the increased numbers of killings in order to get foreign aid and public money in the guise of providing protection.

The state has gone to the dogs and the militants are enjoying the lacuna in the legal and judicial systems. There is a catastrophic failure in the criminal justice system and until the civilian government of Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef reestablishes this system the mayhem will continue unabated. However, it is apparent from the lack of action that the government has no political will to control the militancy as they are using it to cover up their incompetence in dealing with the growing economic crisis facing the country.

Following is the breakdown of the incidents:

Incidents of Sectarian Violence and target killings
Total Attacks: 491
Killed: 2,350
Injured: 3,786

Terrorist Attacks 2013
Total attacks: 250
Killed: 2,286
Total numbers of injuries: 1,609

Killings during different operations conducted by police, army, Para-military forces including Frontier Corps (FC) and Pakistan Rangers

Killed: 1,526
Total number of injuries: 1,746

Suicide Attacks
Total Attacks: 38
Killed: 820
Injured: 1,445

Drone Attacks
Total Attacks: 25
Killed: 188
Injured: 160

Total numbers of incidents and killings
Total incidents: 804
Total killings: 7,170
Total injuries: 8,746

ENDS

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