SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Amid Grief, Warnings That Pakistan Gov't Retaliation Could Violate Human Rights
As Pakistan holds vigils and mass funerals, across the border, people in India stage moment of silence
Dec 17, 2014
As people across Pakistan and the world mourn the at least 148 people--most of them children--killed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in the city of Peshawar on Tuesday, critics warn that retaliatory measures by the Pakistani government could lead to further human rights violations.
On Wednesday, Pakistan commenced three days of mourning with school closures and public vigils for the lives lost when TTP militants launched an attack on a military-run school. Meanwhile, families buried their loved ones in mass funerals in the area in or surrounding Peshawar.
Across the border, people in India--including within the government--held a two-minute moment of silence on Wednesday to honor the victims of the school massacre.
Other vigils are taking place or are planned around the world, with reports emerging that students in India will wear green blazers on Friday in homage to the Pakistani students who were killed.
The attack was widely condemned across the world, including by President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as by the Afghanistan Taliban, which denounced the massacre as "un-Islamic."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday removed the six-year moratorium on the death penalty for cases relating to "terrorism."
However, the UK-based charity Reprieve warns that the rapid resumption of executions will be a human rights disaster in a country that has the world's largest death row, with 40 per cent of the prisoners condemned to death tried in "terrorism" courts.
"Today's announcement puts thousands of lives at risk," said Maya Foa, head of the death penalty team at Reprieve. "The prospect of executions in the next 48 hours should be cause for immediate action from countries with strong links to Pakistan, such as the U.S. and the UK. Our research suggests that many of the individuals who would be first in line for execution are simply not terrorists, and that the law is being abused in a way that perverts justice and fails to keep anyone safe."
Pakistan's Army announced Tuesday, following the massacre, that it had launched air strikes in Khyber and North Waziristan, but it was not immediately clear whether the bombings were in retaliation for the school attack.
The TTP claimed that Tuesday's gruesome attacks were in response to the Pakistani army's military offensive in North Waziristan, which has been waged since June, abetted by U.S. drone strikes.
Speaking with Democracy Now! on Wednesday, Tariq Ali--historian, author, and editor of the New Left Review--said the U.S. has had a direct hand in sowing terrorism in Pakistan.
"At the time the United States went into Afghanistan, I remember writing in the Guardian that one consequence of this massive presence of western military troops is going to be the destabilization and the advancement of terror inside Pakistan itself," said Ali.
"It is a horrific attack," he continued, "and it can't be justified. But what the Taliban are saying is of course true: they are bombed and their kids die and no one says a word. That's absolutely true. But you cannot justify one crime by committing another."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
As people across Pakistan and the world mourn the at least 148 people--most of them children--killed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in the city of Peshawar on Tuesday, critics warn that retaliatory measures by the Pakistani government could lead to further human rights violations.
On Wednesday, Pakistan commenced three days of mourning with school closures and public vigils for the lives lost when TTP militants launched an attack on a military-run school. Meanwhile, families buried their loved ones in mass funerals in the area in or surrounding Peshawar.
Across the border, people in India--including within the government--held a two-minute moment of silence on Wednesday to honor the victims of the school massacre.
Other vigils are taking place or are planned around the world, with reports emerging that students in India will wear green blazers on Friday in homage to the Pakistani students who were killed.
The attack was widely condemned across the world, including by President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as by the Afghanistan Taliban, which denounced the massacre as "un-Islamic."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday removed the six-year moratorium on the death penalty for cases relating to "terrorism."
However, the UK-based charity Reprieve warns that the rapid resumption of executions will be a human rights disaster in a country that has the world's largest death row, with 40 per cent of the prisoners condemned to death tried in "terrorism" courts.
"Today's announcement puts thousands of lives at risk," said Maya Foa, head of the death penalty team at Reprieve. "The prospect of executions in the next 48 hours should be cause for immediate action from countries with strong links to Pakistan, such as the U.S. and the UK. Our research suggests that many of the individuals who would be first in line for execution are simply not terrorists, and that the law is being abused in a way that perverts justice and fails to keep anyone safe."
Pakistan's Army announced Tuesday, following the massacre, that it had launched air strikes in Khyber and North Waziristan, but it was not immediately clear whether the bombings were in retaliation for the school attack.
The TTP claimed that Tuesday's gruesome attacks were in response to the Pakistani army's military offensive in North Waziristan, which has been waged since June, abetted by U.S. drone strikes.
Speaking with Democracy Now! on Wednesday, Tariq Ali--historian, author, and editor of the New Left Review--said the U.S. has had a direct hand in sowing terrorism in Pakistan.
"At the time the United States went into Afghanistan, I remember writing in the Guardian that one consequence of this massive presence of western military troops is going to be the destabilization and the advancement of terror inside Pakistan itself," said Ali.
"It is a horrific attack," he continued, "and it can't be justified. But what the Taliban are saying is of course true: they are bombed and their kids die and no one says a word. That's absolutely true. But you cannot justify one crime by committing another."
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
As people across Pakistan and the world mourn the at least 148 people--most of them children--killed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in the city of Peshawar on Tuesday, critics warn that retaliatory measures by the Pakistani government could lead to further human rights violations.
On Wednesday, Pakistan commenced three days of mourning with school closures and public vigils for the lives lost when TTP militants launched an attack on a military-run school. Meanwhile, families buried their loved ones in mass funerals in the area in or surrounding Peshawar.
Across the border, people in India--including within the government--held a two-minute moment of silence on Wednesday to honor the victims of the school massacre.
Other vigils are taking place or are planned around the world, with reports emerging that students in India will wear green blazers on Friday in homage to the Pakistani students who were killed.
The attack was widely condemned across the world, including by President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as by the Afghanistan Taliban, which denounced the massacre as "un-Islamic."
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday removed the six-year moratorium on the death penalty for cases relating to "terrorism."
However, the UK-based charity Reprieve warns that the rapid resumption of executions will be a human rights disaster in a country that has the world's largest death row, with 40 per cent of the prisoners condemned to death tried in "terrorism" courts.
"Today's announcement puts thousands of lives at risk," said Maya Foa, head of the death penalty team at Reprieve. "The prospect of executions in the next 48 hours should be cause for immediate action from countries with strong links to Pakistan, such as the U.S. and the UK. Our research suggests that many of the individuals who would be first in line for execution are simply not terrorists, and that the law is being abused in a way that perverts justice and fails to keep anyone safe."
Pakistan's Army announced Tuesday, following the massacre, that it had launched air strikes in Khyber and North Waziristan, but it was not immediately clear whether the bombings were in retaliation for the school attack.
The TTP claimed that Tuesday's gruesome attacks were in response to the Pakistani army's military offensive in North Waziristan, which has been waged since June, abetted by U.S. drone strikes.
Speaking with Democracy Now! on Wednesday, Tariq Ali--historian, author, and editor of the New Left Review--said the U.S. has had a direct hand in sowing terrorism in Pakistan.
"At the time the United States went into Afghanistan, I remember writing in the Guardian that one consequence of this massive presence of western military troops is going to be the destabilization and the advancement of terror inside Pakistan itself," said Ali.
"It is a horrific attack," he continued, "and it can't be justified. But what the Taliban are saying is of course true: they are bombed and their kids die and no one says a word. That's absolutely true. But you cannot justify one crime by committing another."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy