Increasing terror strikes on Pak civilians akin to war crimes: Amnesty International
By ANITuesday, April 20, 2010
LONDON - Condemning last week’s terror strikes in Pakistan’s north western Kohat region in which over 40 people were killed and Monday’s suicide attack in Peshawar which claimed 24 people, Amnesty International has said that the increasing attacks on Pakistani civilians are akin to war crimes.
“The Pakistani Taliban and other insurgent groups seem to be escalating their attacks on civilians, in clear violation of the laws of war. Such attacks could constitute war crimes,” said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific Director of the global human rights group.
Zarifi said the Taliban must stop killing innocent civilians, and added that the Pakistan government should tighten the noose on terror organisations to prevent terror attacks on people.
“The Taliban and other insurgent groups are subject to the international laws of war, and they must cease targeting of civilians. Meanwhile the Pakistani government has to do a better job of providing security and provisions for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced during the conflict,” he said.
It may be noted that banned militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had claimed the responsibility for the terror strike on a refugee camp in Kohat last week.
The blast took place when the refugees queued up for rations at the camp. The majority of those killed in the attack belonged to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ (FATA) restive Orakzai Agency, where the Pakistan Army is engaged in an intense battle with the Taliban and other extremist outfits.
Recent fighting in Orakzai and Kurram tribal agencies has displaced an additional 200,000 people.
According to an estimate, 3.1 million people were displaced last year in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and FATA after the military launched an all out operation against the Taliban. (ANI)
