Dawn : HRW urges Pakistan govt to hold Musharraf accountable

HRW urges Pakistan govt to hold Musharraf accountable

August 19, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Aug 19 (AFP) Human Rights Watch Tuesday urged Pakistan's government to undo the “unlawful acts” of former President Musharraf and hold him accountable for his “crimes.”

“Musharraf's brazen disrespect for human rights and the rule of law for nearly a decade finally caught up with him,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at the international rights group.

“By undoing Musharraf's unlawful acts and holding him to account for his crimes, the Pakistani government would advance human rights and national security in the country,” he said.

The rights group said Pakistan's democratic government now needed to assume full responsibility for rolling back measures Musharraf unlawfully imposed, such as changes to the constitution and the dismissal of senior judges last year.

The rights group also expressed concern that the government should be held to account for the hundreds of individuals who “disappeared” under Musharraf's rule.