ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada has said that the incumbent regime has managed to pass the landmark legislation “Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act, 2022, primarily aimed at providing safety and protection to a person during custody from all kind of torture perpetrated by public officials.
The federal minister shared this while talking on the floor of the assembly during the session on Monday.
Responding to a query amid the Question Hour, Riaz Pirzada said the current government was committed to ensuring the safety and protection of human rights in Pakistan by adopting due legal measures.
He further said that the recent development (legislation) would be beneficial for the general public as it would ensure them against custodial torture and another kind of humiliating treatment of the citizens in custody. The Act would help them to provide them with their basic fundamental and human rights.
While entertaining another question, the minister informed the house in a written reply that his Ministry has taken up 23,173 cases/complaints of human rights violations in the country through its four Regional Offices located at Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta during the last three years.
Impact of the Act on Human Rights
If properly implemented, the Act would hopefully bear decisive and fruitful results. The issue of torture and custodial death was long-awaited, and the public and human rights organisations expressed their concern.
Human Rights activists say Pakistan is witnessing scores of cases related to torture and consequent deaths in lockups and studies, particularly people belonging to the middle or lower class.
In some cases, police officials torture people having personal grudges and enmities against them, and when the issue becomes viral, they used to term it a natural death or suicide.
