VOICE AGAINST TORTURE came into existence as a reaction to the endemic of torture in Pakistan. The whole history of Pakistan has been smothered with infractions and atrocities being committed against the vulnerable. To get a better insight into the widespread problem of torture in Pakistan, we need to go briefly through a series of events, since the creation of the country.
PAKISTAN emerged on the map of the world, in 1947, due to the division of British India. As a result of the demand for a separate country for Indian Muslims, migration of millions of people across the borders caused the uprooting of innumerable communities and massive inter-communal massacres and riots. The newly created country with a highly traumatized population was easily taken over by a regime that had no sympathy for the people. The ruling ‘janta’ governed the country by using religion to accomplish their political goals. From the very onset, human rights had been of low priority in Pakistan.
THE FIRST CONSTITUTION of Pakistan was framed in 1956. It did nothing to improve the situation, while the government continued to possess the powers of arbitrary arrest and detention without trial.
IN OCTOBER 1958, the constitution was superseded by the imposition of Martial Law. Military Courts and Tribunals were established and endowed with unlimited powers to arrest, and try political activists. Ayub Khan, the Chief Martial Law Administrator, imposed a new constitution in 1962. Resentment against this constitution, which too was repressive in character, turned into political agitation in 1968.
IN ORDER to bring the situation under control, a second Martial Law was imposed in March 1969. Commander-in-Chief of the army, General Yahya Khan, assumed power both as the Chief Martial Law Administrator and President. The Martial Law Administration began military action in the eastern part of the country in order to suppress the right of self-determination of the people; the result was the disintegration of the country. General Yahya Khan was replaced by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto-a majority party leader from West Pakistan, and a Civil Martial Law Administrator. The imposition of another constitution, in turn, failed to improve the human rights situation in Pakistan. Police atrocities, torture and repression of political opponents remained the order of the day.
BUT IT WAS not enough and again in July 1977, the Army Chief-of-Staff Zia-ul Haq imposed another Martial Law in the country – the longest and the most ruthless of all. Rapid growth and further institutionalization of torture was observed during this time. A raw interpretation of religion was used to justify torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, and punishments.
THE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS were, for the first time, punished by whipping for political actions, such as making a speech, holding a meeting, or raising a voice against the continuation of Martial Law. Political workers, trade unionists, women activities, lawyers and students were arrested from time to time and kept in detention without trial for months or even years. Political trials of hundreds of political activists were held before special or summary military courts, where they were invariably convicted, even though evidence against them was often doubtful as well as scanty; given long imprisonments or heavy fines; and were sometimes sentenced to whipping. In cases where the arrest of a wanted political worker was not possible, other family members were detained in order to wield pressure on him/her. Many of those who were kept in prison were placed in shackles and bar fetters and remained in isolation for months. Those detained, were not necessarily taken to prison but were, on many occasions, taken to special torture dens, functioning under both the police and the army authorities.
POLITICAL DETAINEES and convicts were not treated in accordance with ordinary prison rules or even after having remained in detention for the specified term, were not released and were kept in custody for months. Not only this, but there were cases where children were detained, imprisoned, and sometimes whipped publicly.
TORTURE CELLS and torturers became a part of the system, probably that was the reason why the death of General Zia in a plane crash in August 1988, did not mark the end of torture in Pakistan. The civilian governments that followed could not stop the vast scale of torture being conducted in police stations, prisons and interrogation centers. Neither the civil nor the Military governments could serve the just purpose, since every effort that was made to further strengthen and empower the ruler rather than uphold justice.
AS A CONSEQUENCE, Voice Against Torture (VAT) came into being on 1st January 1988. VAT represents the first organized and systematic effort to combat serious problems of torture in Pakistan. It is an inter-disciplinary forum for the struggle against all forms of torture and for the treatment and rehabilitation of torture survivors and their families. Professionals from every sphere of life, doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, physiotherapists, lawyers, social counselors, human rights activists, social workers, research and documentation experts, put in their efforts to achieve the aims and objectives of this organization.