Prisoners’ abuse condemned

Published February 17, 2006

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Senate on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the abuse of prisoners by the US forces in Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and demanding that those responsible for these inhuman acts should be punished under the international laws.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Sadia Abbasi and Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) while speaking on points of order had highlighted the issue.

The opposition senators said an Australian TV channel had shown some recent photographs of the Iraqi prisoners being abused by US troops in Abu Ghraib prison. They said the Senate should pass a resolution to condemn these acts of the US forces in the strongest possible words.

Leader of the House Wasim Sajjad read out the resolution which was signed by Opposition Leader Raza Rabbani, PML-N senators Ishaq Dar and Sadia Abbasi and Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the MMA.

The resolution states: “The Senate of Pakistan expresses its shock and horror over the atrocities committed by the US forces of occupation in Abu Ghraib in Iraq as evidenced in photographs shown on Australian TV in its ‘Dateline’ programme. These insulting photographs were not allowed to be shown in the United States.

“The Senate condemns these crimes against humanity and endorses the demands made by the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the Amnesty International to punish all persons responsible for these crimes and ensure complete abidance of the Geneva conventions in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and other places where prisoners of war are being held.”—Staff Reporter

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