Urgent action still needed to stop cycle of violence in Pakistan’s Swat
22 September 2009
In Mingora, Pakistan, scores of bodies are turning up in the streets, according to a recent New York Times article. Pakistan’s military battled Taliban forces to retake control of Mingora, the capital of Swat, and has held the city in a tight grip for the past two months. Sources in the article suggested military involvement in the killings – an accusation the military denies.
Minority Rights Group (MRG) recently released a report calling for an official review of the military’s conduct during its campaign against the Taliban. MRG noted that journalists and independent monitors were denied access to the region during military operations. Likewise, MRG urged that abuses perpetrated in Taliban-controlled areas be investigated and, where suitable, prosecuted.
The allegations made in the New York Times only add urgency to these recommendations. Time and time again, those interviewed by MRG pointed to ineffective and corrupt security and justice systems as key reasons for the rise of the Taliban in the first place. MRG warned that reform in these sectors, along with reconstruction and development, are critical to establishing security in this troubled region.
In the briefing, Pakistan: Minorities at Risk in the North-West, MRG pointed out that the Pashtuns and other smaller minorities are trapped between the army and insurgent groups. Interviews with internally displaced people, aid workers, human rights workers and analysts, indicated that urgent action is needed in order to stop the cycle of violence that has engulfed the region. A good start would be a transparent investigation into allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Jared Ferrie is the author of Pakistan: Minorities at Risk in the North-West. The report can be downloaded HERE.