CAT/C/PAK/CO/1
(f)
Refrain from holding individuals in solitary confinement for a prolonged
period of time on the grounds that doing so is necessary to ensure their safety. In cases
where those concerns are present, such as with respect to persons deprived of their
liberty on charges of blasphemy, the State party should ensure that the measures
taken to effectively protect such individuals from harm do not themselves amount to
ill-treatment;
(g)
Ensure that the prohibition against fettering persons deprived of their
liberty is enforced throughout the territory of the State party.
Violence against women and so-called “honour killings”
30.
While noting the adoption of the Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Amendment Bill), 2016
and the Anti-Honour Killing Law (Criminal Amendment Bill) and the State party’s
commitment to addressing those crimes, the Committee is concerned about the reportedly
high level of violence against women in the State party, which includes murder, rape, acid
crimes, kidnappings, domestic violence and “honour killings”. It is also concerned about
the extremely low conviction rates for those crimes, and at reports that parallel justice
systems (known as panchayats or jirgas), have sentenced women to violent punishment or
even death, including stoning, and have provided lenient punishments for perpetrators of
“honour crimes” and in other cases of serious gender-based violence (arts. 2, 14 and 16).
31.
The Committee urges the State party to:
(a)
Intensify efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate all forms of violence
against women, including by strengthening legal provisions in national and provincial
legislation that address and criminalize violence against women;
(b)
Ensure that all cases of violence against women are thoroughly,
effectively and promptly investigated, that perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted
with penalties commensurate with the gravity of the crime and that victims obtain
redress, including adequate compensation;
(c)
Further strengthen its efforts to invalidate and ensure that State officials
do not recognize or carry out judgments of parallel justice mechanisms or alternative
dispute resolution mechanisms, such as panchayats or jirgas, that exculpate
perpetrators of crimes committed in the name of “honour”, that call for women to be
subject to corporal punishment, or that are otherwise inconsistent with the State
party’s obligations under the Convention;
(d)
Guarantee in practice that women who are victims of violence have
immediate access to legal remedies, and ensure that they are able to access effective
protection, including shelters, medical care and psychological support;
(e)
Conduct awareness-raising campaigns and training for public officials
concerning their due diligence obligation under the Convention to protect women
from violence, including honour killings, and to refrain from acquiescing in or
condoning such violence.
Trafficking and forced labour
32.
The Committee is concerned that, despite the efforts made by the Government,
consistent reports refer to high levels of trafficking in persons for sexual exploitation and
forced or bonded labour, including exploitation of children as domestic workers in slavelike conditions (arts. 2, 12, 14 and 16).
33.
The Committee urges the State party to:
(a)
Take measures to eradicate and combat human trafficking and forced
labour, investigating all allegations of trafficking and forced labour and ensuring that
perpetrators are prosecuted and convicted with sentences commensurate with the
gravity of the crime;
(b)
Establish mechanisms for the systematic and regular monitoring of
workplaces in the formal and informal sectors, including domestic work, in order to
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