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US, Pakistan should press each other on human rights: HRW
New York, June 21: US President George W. Bush and Pakistani counterpart General Pervez Musharraf should raise the issue of human rights abuses in each others countries at their upcoming summit, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
New York, June 21: US President George W. Bush and Pakistani counterpart General Pervez Musharraf should raise the issue of human rights abuses in each others countries at
their upcoming summit, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
Musharraf is due in the United States this weekend for a
nine-day trip visiting Boston, Washington, New York, and Los
Angeles. He is scheduled to meet Bush at the presidential
retreat in Camp David, Maryland, on June 24.
Bush "is in a unique position to influence General Musharraf on Pakistan's poor human rights record," said Brad Adams, Asia division director of Human Rights Watch, in a written statement yesterday.
And Musharraf "should question President Bush about illegal detentions at Guantanamo and post-9/11 immigration policies that have violated the rights of non-citizens," he added, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks on Washington and New York.
The group urged Bush to lean on Musharraf to stop using torture to stifle criticism and silence political opponents.
"Perpetrators of torture should be removed from Pakistan's security forces and prosecuted," said Adams.
And HRW urged Musharraf to raise with Bush the legal status of those - including up to 100 Pakistanis - detained at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"By ignoring the clear mandates of international law, the he United States invites every other country, including Pakistan, to do the same," said Adams.
The rights group sent separate letters to the presidents urging them to make human rights a priority on their agenda.
Bush "is in a unique position to influence General Musharraf on Pakistan's poor human rights record," said Brad Adams, Asia division director of Human Rights Watch, in a written statement yesterday.
And Musharraf "should question President Bush about illegal detentions at Guantanamo and post-9/11 immigration policies that have violated the rights of non-citizens," he added, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks on Washington and New York.
The group urged Bush to lean on Musharraf to stop using torture to stifle criticism and silence political opponents.
"Perpetrators of torture should be removed from Pakistan's security forces and prosecuted," said Adams.
And HRW urged Musharraf to raise with Bush the legal status of those - including up to 100 Pakistanis - detained at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"By ignoring the clear mandates of international law, the he United States invites every other country, including Pakistan, to do the same," said Adams.
The rights group sent separate letters to the presidents urging them to make human rights a priority on their agenda.
Bureau Report