Originally Published in The Express Tribune In 1966, nearly 180 million people in the US received Miranda rights – the right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination. Half a century later, a religious community in Pakistan, another country of nearly 180 million people, is facing a rather caustic version of the Miranda rights. They don’t have the right, but a duty, to remain silent. The...
Pakistan’s Failed Commitment: How Pakistan’s Institutionalized Persecution Of The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Violates The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights
By Qasim Rashid* “My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and cooperation, I can look forward to Pakistan becoming one of the greatest Nations of the world.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s Founder and First Governor General at the Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August, 1947. ABSTRACT: The...
Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan: An Analysis Under International Law and International Relations
I. INTRODUCTION Before September 11, 2001, the United States characterized the Pakistani government as an unstable regime with a tarnished history of corrupt dictators, military coups, and territorial violence along its borders. *1 Following the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, Pakistan became a leading partner in the U.S.-led war on terrorism, thrust into a position to...