Dr Sahar Ahmed

PAKISTAN: The government must fully protect and ensure the rights of protesters and immediately rescind the ‘shoot-on-sight’ orders that provide undue and excessive powers to the military. In response to protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad, the authorities must exercise maximum restraint, aiming to prevent and de-escalate violence and to avoid the use of force. Any use of force must be lawful and no more than is necessary and proportionate and the authorities must take all necessary measures to prevent arbitrary deprivation of life, including by ensuring that law enforcement actions are adequately planned to minimize the risk to life. There must also be effective accountability for any unlawful use of force. The severe restrictions on assembly, movement and mobile and internet services as well as arbitrary detentions of thousands of protesters across Pakistan, particularly in Islamabad, are a grave violation of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, movement and expression. As protesters enter the capital, law enforcement officials have used unlawful and excessive force including tear gas, live ammunition and rubber bullets against PTI protesters. Even if protests become non-peaceful, the authorities must respect and ensure the protesters’ rights to life and freedom from torture and other ill-treatment. The Pakistani authorities have obligations under international human rights law to provide an enabling environment for the protesters. @amnesty urges the government to ensure that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is respected and protected. Those detained solely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly must be released immediately.