By IANS,
Islamabad : A UN delegation has arrived in Pakistan on a 10-day mission to study the measures taken by the government to prevent the so-called “forced disappearances” of people in the country, the Dawn reported Monday.
The team from the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances comprises Chair-Rapporteur Olivier de Frouville and member Osman El Hajje.
They will also study issues related to justice for the victims, the daily said.
The working group believes that enforced disappearance is not only a crime but also an act that negates the very essence of humanity. It is contrary to the deepest values of any society, the daily said.
Such a practice cannot and should not be tolerated nor justified whether it is used to counter terrorism or fight organised crime or suppress legitimate demands concerning issues such as democracy, freedom of expression or freedom of religion, it said.
The delegation will visit various parts of the country and meet officials, representatives of civil society organisations and UN agencies and relatives of missing people.
The working group was set up by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of their disappearing relatives.
A final report on Pakistan will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next year.