E/CN.4/1997/7/Add.2 page 5 Slavery Convention of 1926 as amended; Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery; Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic of Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. It has not, however, signed the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment nor the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 13. For much of its history, Pakistan has been plagued by violent conflict between different religious, ethnic and political groups. In recent years, this situation has been exacerbated by the large flow of weapons into Pakistan through the refugee camps along the Pakistani-Afghan border. As a result, many of the factions within the country are heavily armed and pose a genuine threat to internal security. Violent crime is also a serious problem throughout the country, particularly in the major urban centres such as Karachi and Lahore. 14. For the past several years, the Special Rapporteur has reported annually to the Commission on Human Rights on the allegations he has received indicating that torture of persons in the custody of the police, the paramilitary and the armed forces is endemic, widespread and systematic in Pakistan. Torture was allegedly inflicted to obtain information, to punish, humiliate or intimidate, to take revenge or to extract money from detainees or their families. The methods of torture reported include: rape; beatings with sticks, hose pipes, leather belts and rifle butts; kicking with heavy boots; being hung upside down; electric shocks applied to the genitalia and knees; cheera (forced stretching apart of the victim’s legs, sometimes in combination with kicks to the genitalia); sleep deprivation; prolonged blindfolding; and boring of holes with an electric drill into parts of the victim’s body. 15. The Special Rapporteur also received reports that the police often use excessive and disproportionate force during crowd control operations. While conducting house-to-house searches during operations in Karachi between June 1992 and November 1994 and beginning again in May 1995, the army would cordon off entire sections of the city, most frequently Liaqatabad, Lines Area, Shah Faisal Colony and Paposh Nagar, and allegedly round up, detain, blindfold and beat individuals. MQM activists were reported to be particularly targeted during such operations. 16. Reports were also received by the Special Rapporteur alleging that the substantial majority of women held in police custody are subjected to some form of sexual abuse, including rape. Registering a rape complaint was said to be problematic because the Islamic Zina Ordinance of 1979 reportedly makes it difficult for a woman to meet the evidentiary requirements to establish her case. Failure to establish such a case reportedly exposes the complainant to a potential charge of illicit sexual intercourse, an offence punishable under the Ordinance with 80 lashes or, if the woman is married, death by stoning. It was further alleged that when the alleged perpetrator of rape is a member of the police, army or other governmental official, the police often refuse to register a complaint, or pressure or bribe the victim into dropping the charges.