E/CN.4/1996/35/Add.1 page 93 494. Mohammed Sallem Jafri and Nadeem Ahmed of Shah Faisal Colony in Karachi were arrested in North Nazimabad on 18 May 1995 by police officers and Rangers. The officials allegedly drilled holes into their bodies, removed their fingernails and mustaches, and burned them with cigarettes and hot iron rods. They reportedly died as a result of this torture. The Rangers brought their bodies to hospital and reported that they had died in an "encounter". 495. Kamran Qureshi, aged 16, was arrested in North Nazimabad on 18 May 1995 by members of the Rangers and officers of Temuria police station. The officials allegedly drilled holes into his face, removed his fingernails and toenails, broke his knees and neck, and shot several bullets into his head. His body was taken by the police and Rangers to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. A medical report confirmed injuries consistent with the treatment described above. 496. Forty-six MQM activists were reportedly transferred from Karachi central jail to Larkhana jail in the interior of Sindh province on 31 May 1995. The prisoners were allegedly beaten severely with sticks and fists upon their arrival at the prison. They were then placed in bar fetters and forced to perform hard labour. 497. By the same letter the Special Rapporteur also reminded the Government of a number of cases transmitted in 1994 regarding which no reply had been received and requested follow-up information on seven other cases. Information received from the Government with respect to cases included in previous reports 498. By letter dated 30 January 1995, the Government, responding to the general allegations transmitted by the Special Rapporteur in his letter of 21 July 1994, noted that individual cases of excesses occurred in Pakistan, but that such cases did not represent the official policy of the Government. Allegations of torture are immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities and action is taken against those found guilty. Many of the cases transmitted by the Special Rapporteur occurred before the present Government had assumed office and the incidents of human right violations had decreased during the tenure of the present Government. The Government had taken steps to ensure protection of and respect for human rights, including the establishment of the Human Rights Cell. Under its mandate, the Human Rights Cell is empowered, inter alia, to submit opinions, recommendations, proposals and reports on legislative, administrative and certain judicial provisions for the protection of human rights; to draw the attention of the Government to situations in the country where human rights are violated and to make proposals to remedy the situation; to promote and ensure the harmonization of national legislation, regulations and practices with those international human rights instruments to which the State is a party; to assist in the formulation of programmes for human rights education and research; and to monitor specific incidents of human rights violations as and when desired by the Government. 499. With regard to general allegations transmitted by the Special Rapporteur concerning the prevalence of sexual abuse, including rape, of women held in police custody, the Government had taken measures to provide for the protection of women during interrogation, including the establishment of