A/HRC/7/3/Add.2 page 98 507. He welcomes reports that there have been some cases in which law-enforcement officials have been punished for acts of torture and ill-treatment (see 2006 annual report of the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan, p. 112). Nevertheless, he is concerned about persisting allegations of torture (ibid, p. 112, 113), the negative trends in several areas touched upon in the country-visit recommendations, such as in relation to the independence of the judiciary, the growing number of disappearances (see Report of the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, A/HRC/7/2), and the high level of violence in prisons (see 2006 annual report of the Human Rights Commission in Pakistan, p. 111, 112). 508. Welcoming, the Government’s decision to sign the Convention against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he encourages it to ratify them expeditiously. As he has repeatedly stated in the past, the Special Rapporteur considers that the most effective way of preventing torture is to expose all places of detention to public scrutiny (see e.g. A/61/259, para. 74). He recommends that Pakistan ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. He further encourages the Government to consider ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. 509. Recommendation (a) stated: A renewed commitment by all involved in organized society, political parties, religious groups, communal groups, law enforcement agencies, to eschew resort to criminal violence in pursuit of their objectives needs to be declared and implemented. This should include the abandonment of violent political rhetoric. 510. Recommendation (b) stated: Pakistan should become a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocols. 511. The Government has taken the decision to sign the Convention against Torture and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights. The decision has been approved by the Cabinet and further procedural steps shall be taken immediately after the parliamentary elections and installation of a new Government. 512. The Government informed that torture and wrongful confinements are punishable under the Penal Code. Wrongful confinement to extort confessions or to compel restoration of property is also punishable under section 348 of the Code. 513. The Police Order 2002 includes the following safeguards against the use of torture: • Police officers who make entry or searches without lawful authority, detain or arrest persons, or inflict torture or use violence on any person in their custody, are punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with a fine under section 156 of this order.