Key developments since May 2004: Several non-state armed groups have
used landmines and improvised explosive devices regularly, most notably in
Baluchistan, Waziristan Agency and elsewhere in the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA). Pakistan claims to have completely cleared the border area
that it mined during tensions with India in 2001-2002. Mine risk education was
carried out by NGOs in the FATA, and to some extent by Pakistani authorities.
In 2004, the number of casualties increased significantly compared with 2003;
most were due to improvised explosive devices.
Mine Ban Policy
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.
There has been little change in government policy over the past decade.
Pakistan has repeatedly stated that antipersonnel mines are a necessary part of
its self-defense strategy and that it cannot relinquish the weapon until viable
alternatives are developed.[1 ]Pakistan has consistently abstained from voting on the annual pro-ban UN
General Assembly resolutions since 1996, including the vote on UNGA Resolution
59/84 on 3 December 2004.
Nevertheless, Pakistan has acknowledged the negative human and socioeconomic
impact of landmines, and expressed support for the goal of the eventual
elimination of antipersonnel mines. In November 2003, Pakistan proposed that
“mine-laying prevention and mine clearance” be included as essential
objectives in conflict
situations.[2 ]
Pakistan has rarely taken part as an observer in Mine Ban Treaty-related
meetings since the treaty’s negotiation in 1997, and did not attend the
First Review Conference in Nairobi in November-December 2004 or the
intersessional meetings in June 2005.
Pakistan ratified Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional
Weapons (CCW) on 9 March 1999, and indicated it would exercise the option to
defer implementation of key technical provisions for a nine-year period.
Pakistan participated in the Sixth Annual Conference of States Parties to
Amended Protocol II in November 2004, and submitted its annual report required
by Article 13. Pakistan believes that Protocol II “strikes the right
balance between the legitimate security concerns of the States Parties and
humanitarian
considerations....”[3]
Several
NGOs based in Peshawar continued their activities in support of the
antipersonnel mine ban during 2004 and the first half of 2005. In November
2004, the Sustainable Peace & Development Organization (SPADO) released
Landmine Monitor Report 2004 in a briefing at the Peshawar Press Club;
this generated news stories in at least 13 national daily newspapers as well as
international attention. In 2004, SPADO organized 11 community gatherings in
different parts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to educate about the need to ban landmines and
secure support for this goal. On 13 January 2005, it held a workshop, Landmines
in the perspective of Islam, for religious scholars from different school of
thoughts, as well as media and NGOs.[4 ]On 9 February 2005, SPADO organized another seminar, in cooperation with
the department of defense and strategic studies at the University of
Quaid-i-Azam, Islamabad, to educate the students and faculty about the
humanitarian dimensions of the landmine issue. Also in February, SPADO
organized an exhibition on landmines in the sociology department of the
University of Peshawar, to raise awareness and to encourage involvement by
students in campaign activities. In March 2005, in collaboration with its
department of fine arts, the University of Peshawar arranged a posters/sketches
competition on the topic of landmines.
In August 2004, the Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines, in collaboration
with Community Motivation and Development Organization, organized a conference
on landmine survivor assistance in FATA, followed by another conference in
October 2004 in Islamabad on children and landmines.
Production, Transfer and Stockpiling
Pakistan
is one of a small number of countries still producing antipersonnel mines.
Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), located at Wah cantonment, is a state-owned
weapons manufacturer established in 1951 that has produced six types of
landmines: two minimum-metal blast mines (P2Mk1 and P4Mk2); two bounding
fragmentation mines (P3MK2 and P7Mk1); two directional fragmentation
Claymore-type mines (P5Mk1 and P5Mk2). According to the government, the
“private sector is not allowed to manufacture landmines...Mines are
produced by government factories and subsequently stored and used by armed
forces only.”[5 ]
Pakistan was reported to be developing a remotely-delivered antipersonnel
mine system in 2002, but no further information has been discovered since
then.[6 ]After 1 January 1997, POF
began production of new, detectable versions of hand-emplaced blast mines that
are compliant with CCW Amended Protocol
II.[7 ]
Pakistan declared a complete moratorium on export of antipersonnel mines in
1997, which became legally binding through Statutory Regulatory Order No. 123
(1) of 25 February 1999.[8 ]It has
stated that in practice it has not exported mines “since early
1992.”[9 ]In the past, the
country was a major exporter of landmines and Pakistani-made mines are found in
Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and other locations.
The Pakistani armed forces continued to seize weapons, including
antipersonnel mines, in Baluchistan province and FATA in 2004 and 2005, which it
claimed were being smuggled by non-state
actors.[10 ]
There is no official information available on the size of Pakistan’s
antipersonnel mine stockpile. Since 2000, Landmine Monitor has estimated that
Pakistan holds at least six million antipersonnel mines in stockpile, which
constitutes the fifth largest stockpile in the world. In November 2004,
Pakistan said that by December 2007, all old stockpiled mines would be modified
and made detectable.[11 ]The
government also reported that the Pakistan Army Ordnance Corps “destroys
unserviceable mines...whenever
required.”[12 ]
Illicit Production and Sale
The arms bazaar at Dara Adam Khel, 40 kilometers south of Peshawar in the
North West Frontier Province, consists of more than 4,000 shops selling an array
of weapons, but not landmines. Landmine Monitor discovered during interviews
with weapons merchants and some of the 50 small-scale weapons manufacturers at
Dara Adam Khel, that landmines are not locally produced and cannot be purchased
openly in the market.[13 ]The local
political administration’s Jirga system and community elders of Dara Adam
Khel have put in place a ban on the sale and manufacture of landmines,
punishable by a fine of Rs.20,000
(US$333).[14 ]It is reportedly
possible, with some effort and much secrecy, to purchase an antipersonnel mine
for between two and three US dollars. Weapons shops in Peshawar do not openly
sell antipersonnel mines as such sales come under government control and the
Pakistani Arms Act therefore applies.
Landmine Monitor could find no evidence of any local manufacture of
landmines in Baluchistan and
FATA.[15]
Use
Landmine Monitor could find no confirmed instances of use of antipersonnel
mines by Pakistani armed forces during 2004 or the first half of
2005.[16 ]In its October 2004
Amended Protocol II report, Pakistan stated, “No new minefields were laid
during the period covered in this Annual report,” which was 16 August 2003
to 15 August 2004.[17 ]
The last major mine-laying operation took place between December 2001 and
mid-2002 along the Indian border. In October 2004, Pakistan reported that 100
percent of the mines it laid on the eastern border with India had been lifted,
and “proofing of mined areas was carried out by the army
engineers.”[18 ]This massive
mine-laying operation by both Pakistan and India resulted in numerous landmine
casualties on both sides of the border.
Pakistan has stated that claims by Human Rights Watch that it has taken
insufficient measures to protect civilians from mines “cannot be
substantiated by any evidence,” and that “mines have never caused
humanitarian concerns in
Pakistan.”[19 ]It also
asserted, “Every mine laid by Pakistan armed forces is accounted
[for]” using the Global Positioning System and an “up-to-date
record” is maintained at “unit, formation, and Army
headquarters.”[20 ]Finally,
Pakistan asserted that it laid only detectable
mines.[21]
Non-State Armed Groups
Several non-state armed groups within Pakistan use landmines and improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) regularly, most notably in the province of Baluchistan,
in Waziristan Agency and elsewhere in FATA where tensions between the local
tribes run high. Landmines and IEDs are known to be used in family feuds,
tribal clashes and sectarian violence, as well as against government troops and
law enforcement agencies.
One notable mine incident occurred in April 2005. As a significant
confidence-building measure, Pakistan and India agreed on 16 February 2005 to
demine and open a road for civilian traffic between Muzaffarabad in Pakistan and
Srinagar in India.[22 ]Just prior
to the launch of the new bus service, on 5 April 2005, seven persons were
injured by a landmine planted on the road surface by one of the armed groups
opposed to the peace process.[23 ]
Mine Use in Federally Administered Tribal Areas
When the local NGO Community Appraisal and Motivation Program (CAMP) visited
the FATA agencies of Aurakzai, Bajaur, Dara Adam Khel and Kurram in April and
May 2005, a majority of people interviewed knew of recent incidents of mine use
and casualties. It appears that most mine use occurred as part of personal
feuds. Local people in FATA have also used landmines in sectarian violence and
tribal clashes. [24 ]
Landmine Monitor was told that in Tehsil Mamond in Bajaur Agency, mines have
been used extensively in personal feuds. However, the local administration of
Bajaur Agency, which organizes Jirgas to resolve tribal and family conflicts,
has forbidden the use of landmines during such conflicts, with severe punishment
for violations.[25 ]
In Kurram Agency, locals said that there had been widespread and recent use
of landmines, largely in tribal and sectarian clashes, particularly between
Shiite and Sunni Muslims.[26 ]In
some parts of Kurram Agency near the border with Afghanistan, local laborers
reportedly accept landmines as barter in return for their daily
wages.[27 ]Several people said that
an antipersonnel mine could be purchased for Rs.250-300 ($4 to $5), an increase
from Rs.60-100 ($0.90-$1.60) a few years
ago.[28 ]As in Bajaur, the
political administration, with the help of elders/maliks, has forbidden mine use
and assessed severe punishments.[29 ]The local administration has also allocated some funds for first aid
treatment and compensation for landmine
survivors.[30 ]
Mine Use in Baluchistan
A worsening insurgency in Baluchistan province against the federal
government has seen apparently increased use of both landmines and IEDs, mostly
against government properties, including trains, railway lines, electricity and
telephone towers, as well as the Pakistani Army. Baluchi nationalists have
launched armed attacks on the country’s main natural gas installations, to
express their anger on a range of contentious issues. In the first half of
2005, Baluchi rebels carried out several attacks, including the planting of
landmines, resulting in the deaths of military personnel, security agents,
government officials and civilians.[31 ]
On 27 April 2005, a paramilitary soldier was killed when he stepped on a
landmine in the Kahan area of Kohlu
district.[32 ]On 3 April 2005, two
Frontier Corps personnel were injured when a landmine exploded in the Kahan area
of Kohlu district.[33 ]On 2 July
2004, seven border guards were wounded by a landmine at Dera Murad Jamali in the
Sui area.[34 ]On 7 June 2004, two
people, including a soldier, died when their van hit a landmine in the remote
southeast of Baluchistan.[35 ]
The use of antipersonnel landmines against government forces is not a new
phenomenon in the area. According to an Army officer, the rebels have planted
mines in roads when they expect a government convoy to pass by, and often ambush
the convoy after the explosion. Mines have been used offensively against the
government forces in order to deter them from their area, and to create
lawlessness and weaken the government’s
control.[36 ]Baluchi expertise in
mine use is believed to derive from fighters that fled to Afghanistan, where
they joined the war, returning after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban, and
then put their training to use in the laying of mines against Pakistani
government forces, especially in their area of
Kohlu.[37 ]
In the Mechter and Chamalog areas in Loralai district, two tribes have waged
a violent conflict over the ownership of a local coal mine. The road between
Mechter and Chamalog is sometimes mined when the tribes receive information
about an intended shipment of coal. On 4 May 2005, an electrical worker lost
his right leg when he stepped on a mine near Barkhan in Loralai
district.[38 ]On 31 May 2005, five
women were killed and six others injured when their pickup truck hit an
antivehicle mine in Loralai district.[39 ]
Mine Use in Waziristan Agency
It appears that a number of groups in Waziristan Agency have been using
mines in 2004 and 2005, including the Wazirs and Mahsud
tribes.[40 ]While a research visit
to Waziristan Agency was not possible due to security concerns, based on an
analysis of local newspaper articles and other sources it appears that these
tribes and their sub-tribes have used landmines frequently against government
forces, both offensively and defensively. In March 2004, the Pakistan Army
launched an operation in South Waziristan Agency against tribes believed to be
harboring Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorists.
On 14 April 2005, one man was killed and two others injured when their
vehicle struck a landmine 25 kilometers west of Miran Shah in North
Waziristan.[41 ]On 22 November
2004, media reported that Pakistan troops had seized a large quantity of weapons
including 340 landmines during an anti-terrorism operation at the former
stronghold of tribal militant Abdullah Mahsud in South Waziristan. On 4
November 2004, nine Pakistani soldiers were killed and 15 injured in four
separate explosions caused by IEDs in different parts of South
Waziristan.[42 ]On 24 October, two
landmine explosions on roads killed a civilian and injured four soldiers near
Makin in South Waziristan.[43 ]On 1
October 2004, three children were killed and two injured when they handled a
mine they found on a road on their way to school 60 kilometers east of Wana in
South Waziristan.[44 ]
Landmine and UXO Problem
Pakistan reported in October 2004 that it “faces no problem of mines.
We have cleared the entire area, which was mined during Indo-Pakistan escalation
of 2001-2002, with negligible casualties. The few casualties that occurred in
the past, in the area adjoining Pakistan-Afghanistan border were due to
unaccounted mines left by the former Soviet
troops.”[45 ]Moreover,
“mines have never caused humanitarian concerns in Pakistan, despite having
fought three wars with India and... military standoff during
2001-2002.”[46 ]
In October 2004, the government acknowledged that “The problems of
landmines in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) near Pak-Afghan border
still persist to some extent.”[47 ]The contamination dates from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
(1979-1989), when mines were scattered from helicopters by Soviet and Afghan
forces, and mujahideen used mines to protect their bases in the tribal areas.
Significant quantities of weaponry, including landmines, entered Pakistan during
the Afghan war, and are undocumented and unaccounted
for.[48 ]One of the antipersonnel
mines widely used in FATA was reported to be the Pakistan-manufactured P2 Mk2
blast mine; also frequently encountered are the PFM-1 Butterfly mine, Soviet
PMN, PMD-6 and M46 bottle mine, and other mines manufactured by Pakistani
Ordnance Factories.[49 ]An
assessment of the mine/UXO contamination in 2000 recommended: a household and
casualty survey; a technical survey; initiating mine/UXO clearance; expanded
community awareness programs; emergency evacuation for
casualties.[50 ]As of May 2005, no
progress on implementation had been reported.
In Baluchistan, areas known to be mined include Rait, on the Afghan border
near Spin Boldak in Chaman district. According to local journalists, an average
of four to five incidents occur there each year. Mekhter and Chambalang, areas
near the district border of Loralai, which are affected by Pushtun and Baluch
tribal disputes due to its coalmines, and Kirbag, the homelands of the Mari
Baluchi tribe, are also known to have a mine
problem.[51 ]
The mine/UXO problem in FATA and in Baluchistan appears to have been
exacerbated by widespread availability of landmines, and the ongoing use of
mines as well as IEDs in local conflicts, as noted earlier in this
report.[52 ]In 2004, the number of
casualties in Pakistan from mines, UXO and IEDs increased significantly compared
with 2003 (see Landmine/UXO Casualties later).
Mine/UXO Clearance
Pakistan has no formal civilian mine action program. Mine/UXO clearance is
carried out by engineer units of the Armed Forces, and “Regular training
is being imparted to troops and officers during training cycles in the units
especially those formations/units operating/deployed in the border area with
India and
Afghanistan.”[53]
On the border with India, engineer units are reported to “have ensured
complete mine clearance.” Furthermore, “To ensure 100% clearance of
mines laid during escalation of 2001-2002 with India, proofing of mined areas
was carried out by the army engineers.... To ensure recovery of every missing
mine, specially trained sniffing dogs are employed for search of
mines.”[54]
After demining, the road between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar in Kashmir was
opened to civilian traffic in April 2005, as a confidence-building measure
resulting from the ongoing peace dialogue between Pakistan and
India.[55 ]The route has been
closed since partition in 1947. It was expected that this may be followed by a
second route across the Line of Control, between Rawalkot and Poonch, after
clearance of mines on the Indian
side.[56 ]No information has been
reported about clearance on the Pakistan side for this second route.
As regards mine-affected areas that Pakistan reports exist in FATA, no
information has been reported on government plans for survey, assessment or
clearance. However, Pakistan acknowledges the role of NGOs in risk-reduction
activities in these areas.
Mine Risk Education
Organizations providing mine risk education (MRE) in 2004 and 2005 include
Community Motivation and Development Organization (CMDO), CAMP, Sustainable
Peace and Development Organization, Basic Education and Employable Skills
Training, Christian Hospital Quetta and the British NGO Islamic Relief, assisted
by Mines Advisory Group.
Pakistan's Article 13 report, submitted in October 2004, acknowledged the
role of NGOs in conducting MRE, mentioning the Pakistan Campaign to Ban
Landmines and CMDO, which have focused on “Afghan refugees and own
civilians living in border area with Afghanistan regarding safety and protection
measures against mines.” The same report also stated that Pakistan has
played a vital role for almost two decades in the education of Afghan refugees
regarding the hazards of and protection methods from
mines.[57]
CMDO launched MRE in Kurram in FATA in 2003, in partnership with the British
NGO Response International. From February 2003 to November 2004, 78,992
civilians received MRE, mainly through schools, mosques and other public places.
The three-year project will end in January 2006; it has funding of £300,000
($549,900) from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund through Response
International UK.[58 ]The project
sought to target children who were encouraged to share what they had learnt with
their peers and female family members, who could not be accessed by the male MRE
instructors. In 2004, a female MRE team was recruited, to target women and
girls for MRE. Instructors go village to village. MRE instructors also teach
first aid and primary care for mine
casualties.[59 ]
Basic Education and Employable Skills Training (BEST), a local NGO working
in refugee camps, implemented the Extremely Vulnerable Individuals Project in
2003-2004, with funding from the International Catholic Migration Commission.
The target audience was Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan. The annual
budget was $13,445.[60 ]
The Christian Hospital in Quetta implemented a disability and landmine
awareness project in refugee camps in Baluchistan, from March 2001 to February
2004. The target audience was Afghan refugees living in Quetta slums, refugee
camps and villages; MRE was imparted in the Pushtu and Dari languages by health
outreach workers; 1,355 Afghan refugees were reached. Funding of £90,000
($165,000) was provided by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund through
Mercy Corps.[61]
In 2004, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) was invited by Islamic Relief to
undertake an initial mine action assessment in Azad Jammu Kashmir. In March
2005, MAG deployed a community liaison advisor to conduct a 10-day assessment of
the preliminary needs of local populations suffering as a result of landmine and
UXO contamination; this was funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
MAG then conducted MRE training-of-trainers for 20 Islamic Relief field staff to
internationally recognized standards. MAG planned to provide follow-up workshop
and an evaluation of the MRE component later in
2005.[62 ]The Islamic Relief MRE
program, as part of its health education program in Kashmir, was expected to
benefit approximately 70,000
people.[63 ]
In its 2004 Amended Protocol II report, Pakistan stated that civilians
residing in the India-Pakistan border area “were educated regarding
minefields marking and the safety precautions.” Also, “elders of
the small villages close to border with India and Afghanistan are educated
through local administration and NGOs regarding the safety precautions against
the mine hazards.”[64]
Landmine/UXO Casualties
In 2004, according to Sustainable Peace and Development Organization, there
were at least 195 new casualties, including 67 people killed and 128 injured,
caused by landmines, UXO or IEDs; 59 were civilians, including 11 children and
five women.[65]This represents a
significant increase from the 138 new casualties (48 killed and 90 injured)
reported in 2003.[66]Of the total
casualties, 76 were caused by antivehicle mines, 69 by IEDs, 29 by antipersonnel
mines and 21 by UXO. The majority of casualties were recorded in the Federally
Administrated Tribal Areas: 130 in South Waziristan; nine in Kurram; eight in
North Waziristan; four in Mohmand; three in Dara Adam Khel; one in Bajaur. In
the remaining four provinces: 25 casualties were recorded in Baluchistan; nine
in the Northwest Frontier Province; four in Punjab; two in Sindh. There was a
sharp increase in casualties in the last four months of 2004, with 128
casualties reported between September and November, due to rising tensions in
southern FATA. Most incidents occurred while people were traveling; 22
casualties were caused by tampering.
Casualties continue to be reported in 2005. Community Appraisal and
Motivation Program recorded 11 people killed and 57 others injured to 29 May
2005; 66 were civilians, including four children. The majority of casualties
were caused by IEDs.[67 ]On 31 May,
two children and three women were killed and six other people were injured when
their vehicle hit a landmine in the southeastern province of
Baluchistan.[68 ]In July, three
tribesmen were injured when a landmine exploded on a volleyball ground in South
Waziristan.[69 ]
Community Motivation and Development Organization also collects casualty
data in the tribal areas. In 2004 and early 2005, 103 new mine/UXO casualties
were recorded, including 24 people killed and 79
injured.[70 ]
One UNMIL Pakistani EOD officer was slightly injured in 2004 when disposing
of a hand grenade in
Liberia.[71]
There is no comprehensive reporting or data collection system in Pakistan
and a large number of mine casualties are likely to be unreported. Several
national NGOs record casualties based on media reports, or information coming
from their teams in the field and from other NGOs. Therefore, the total number
of landmine casualties is not known. According to CMDO and the Pakistan
Campaign to Ban Landmines, it is estimated that there are 5,000 landmine
casualties in the tribal areas.[72]CMDO’s household survey collected information on 736 landmine
casualties, including 292 people killed and 444 injured (346 amputees) to March
2003 in Bajaur Agency.[73 ]In a
household survey by Response International UK (RI) and CMDO in Kurram Agency,
7,189 households have been surveyed: 707 reported mine casualties in their
household, including 293 people killed and injured; 243 required an amputation
and 171 suffered other injuries; 123 were under 18 years of age; 82 were
female.[74]
Survivor Assistance
In Pakistan, there are no specialized medical, surgical or first aid
facilities for landmine casualties close to the mine-affected areas, and local
hospitals are not adequately equipped to respond to the needs of landmine/UXO
casualties. There is a lack of trained staff, funding, medicines, equipment and
management. Seriously injured people, including landmine casualties, are
referred to hospitals in Peshawar or other major cities. Civilians must cover
the costs of medicine, treatment and transport. There are insufficient
ambulances or first aid services to stabilize and transport casualties in a
timely manner. The lack of services is partly due to funding gaps and the
absence of a social infrastructure. Afghan mine survivors residing in Pakistan
also use the Pakistani medical infrastructure, which adds an additional strain
in an already densely populated
country.[75 ]
There are no known government-run rehabilitation programs for mine survivors
in the mine-affected areas.[76 ]The
Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar have
rehabilitation centers, where prostheses and other assistive devices are
available on a full payment basis. The average rehabilitation time for the
fitting of prostheses is three weeks, and the cost for below-knee prostheses is
about $600-$700.[77 ]The cost of
prostheses is beyond the reach of the poor and marginalized people of FATA. The
Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) also provide
prostheses and orthoses on a payment basis, assisting more than 1,500 people per
year. PIPOS has provided assistance to 167 mine/UXO survivors from FATA with
funding provided by CMDO (64), Human Resource Development Project (27), PIPOS
Fund (43), and 33 others from sources including the government. PIPOS is
working on the establishment of two regional centers in FATA in collaboration
with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the FATA
directorate. PIPOS also provides training in conjunction with the University of
Peshawar, leading to a degree in prosthetics and
orthotics.[78 ]
The Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education
funds the Social Welfare Department of NWFP at the Hayat Shaheed Hospital in
Peshawar to provide rehabilitation, including an orthopedic workshop, and social
support for persons with disabilities. In 2004, 186 people benefited from the
services, including two landmine
survivors.[79 ]
The Rehabilitation Center for Physically Disabled (RCPD) in Peshawar runs
several health and disability programs, including an integrated rehabilitation
program and a national community-based rehabilitation (CBR) program. Facilities
include a prosthetic workshop, vocational training center and 60-bed hospital.
Social workers are also available. The integrated rehabilitation program
includes the provision of prostheses, orthotics and other assistive devices,
vocational training, inclusive education, home visits and community meetings.
RCPD has established 13 small CBR centers in the border areas of FATA: eight in
Azad Jammu and Kashmir; four in FATA (Kurram, Orakzai, Bajaur, Mohmand); one in
Quetta. In 2004, 20 new CBR centers were started in the four provinces. RCDP
provided equipment and physiotherapy training to 85 CBR centers in Pakistan, and
micro loans and small grants to 16 centers. The three-year landmine survivor
rehabilitation project, implemented in partnership with Action for Disability
UK, ended in March 2004. However, the RCPD continues to provide services to
landmine/UXO survivors, free of charge. In 2004, the center assisted 727
people; 103 landmine survivors were fitted with prostheses. In addition, 75
crutches and 35 wheelchairs were distributed in 2004-2005. Some survivors were
also assisted through skills training, tool kits and financial assistance if
needed.[80 ]
The Community Motivation and Development Organization program, in
partnership with Response International UK (RI), in Kurram Agency focuses on the
physical rehabilitation of landmine/UXO survivors through physiotherapy and
facilitating access to other health services, including prosthetics; the program
also includes a component for socioeconomic reintegration. Physiotherapy is
provided in the Disabled Rehabilitation Center at the Parachinar hospital in
Upper Kurram. In 2004, 969 people received physiotherapy treatments, and 300
mobility devices were distributed in FATA. The project is funded by the Diana,
Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. In 2004, CMDO also distributed 100 wheelchairs
to landmine survivors in Bajaur (40) and Kurram (60), which were donated by the
Taiwan-based NGO Eden Social Welfare Foundation, with airport duty and taxes
paid by RI.[81 ]
In 2004, the Human Development Promotion Group (HDPG) assisted 10 landmine
survivors from Bajaur Agency—including two double amputees—with
artificial limbs, medical assistance, physiotherapy and reconstructive surgery.
HDPG covers the costs of travel to Peshawar, and food and accommodation during
treatment. HDPG also arranges community gatherings. The program is supported
by the First Hand
Foundation.[82]
Christian Hospital’s Baluchistan Community Rehabilitation Program
(BCRP) provides physiotherapy services, and orthopedic and prosthetic (lower
limb) devices, to Pakistanis and Afghan refugees living in Quetta slums, refugee
camps and villages in Baluchistan. In 2004, BCRP assisted 750 people, including
85 landmine survivors from Pakistan and Afghanistan; 418 people received
physiotherapy and 490 mobility devices were distributed (including 247
prostheses). The program was supported by Mercy Corps Scotland until July
2004.[83 ]BCRP continues to provide
assistance, with support from ICRC since late 2004. ICRC will introduce
polypropylene technology, cover the running costs of the center, and equip a
mobile unit.[84]
Following an assessment mission in August 2004, ICRC initiated a physical
rehabilitation program in Pakistan to ensure that people from conflict areas and
in refugee camps have safe access to services. The program, not fully
operational until January 2005, includes referring disabled Afghans to ICRC
centers in Kabul and Jalalabad (Afghanistan), and negotiating with PIPOS and the
Fauji Foundation to increase the number of referral centers. In 2004, the
Jalalabad center fitted 169 refugees with prostheses and 10 with orthoses; the
costs of fitting eight amputees was covered by the ICRC at the PIPOS center.
The Fauji Foundation-supported Artificial Limbs Center in Rawalpindi will fit
amputees who live near the Line of
Control.[85 ]
SPADO provides a referral service for landmine survivors to the appropriate
services, in cooperation with the ICRC, UN Development Programme, government,
and national and international partner organizations. Through its media
activities, SPADO highlighted the need for the socioeconomic reintegration of
landmine survivors, and developed an action plan for a comprehensive program.
However, due to a lack of funding, the plan cannot be
implemented.[86]
Intersos organizes vocational training in Peshawar for Afghan refugees and
vulnerable Pakistanis, and skills training in the tribal areas combined with
community services inside refugee camps. Intersos is present in 10 camps
providing skill trainings to over 500 refugees. A large number of Afghan mine
survivors live in the refugee camps, and are benefiting from the program.
Funding is provided by the European
Commission.[87]
Disability Policy and Practice
The 1981 Disabled Person (Empowerment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance protects
the rights of persons with disabilities and established the National Council for
the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons. The Ministry of Women Development,
Social Welfare and Special Education, is responsible for issues relating to
disabled persons. A national policy for persons with disabilities was
formalized in 2002. In April 2005, the Ministry, in collaboration with the
World Bank, organized a two-day workshop, entitled National Consultation on
National Plan of Action to Implement National Policy for Persons with
Disabilities, in Islamabad.[88]
Landmine survivors are entitled to the same welfare services as other people
with disability. However, Pakistan has not fully acknowledged the scope of the
landmine problem in Pakistan, especially in FATA. Pakistani law and regulations
do not apply to FATA.[89 ]
The government is paying compensation to survivors and the families of those
killed as a result of the conflict on the Pakistan-India border; however, it is
not known how mine victims have
benefited.[90]
[1 ]See, for example, Statement by
Pakistan, Fourth Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II,
Geneva, 11 December 2002; Statement by Pakistan, First Annual Conference of
States Parties to Amended Protocol II, Geneva, 17 December 1999, p. 5.
[2 ]Statement by Pakistan in UN
Security Council’s 4858th Meeting, S/PV.4858, 13 November 2003.
[3]Statement by Pakistan, Fifth
Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II, Geneva, 26 November
2003.
[4 ]Participants included Dr. Qibla
Ayaz, a prominent scholar and dean of Islamic and Oriental Studies at the
University of Peshawar.
[5 ]CCW Amended Protocol II Article
13 Report, Form D, 8 October 2004.
[6 ]Letter to PCBL Coordinator from
Joint Staff Headquarters, Chaklala Cantonment, 4 April 2002.
[7 ]Pakistan noted in November 2004
that since acceding to Amended Protocol II, it has only produced detectable
antipersonnel mines. Sixth Annual Conference of States Parties to CCW
Amended Protocol II, Summary Record of the 1st Meeting, Geneva, 17 November 2004
(CCW/AP II/CONF.6/SR.1), 13 May 2005, p. 14.
[8 ]Letter from Joint Staff
Headquarters, 14 February 2002; Article 13 Report, 10 December 2001.
[9 ]Letter from Joint Staff
Headquarters, 14 February 2002. Previously Pakistan said it had not exported
since 1991.
[10 ]Landmine Monitor (Community
Appraisal and Motivation Program, CAMP) interview with Army official, Quetta,
Baluchistan, 29 May 2005.
[11 ]Sixth Annual Conference of
States Parties to CCW Amended Protocol II, Summary Record of the 1st
Meeting, Geneva, 17 November 2004 (CCW/AP II/CONF.6/SR.1), 13 May 2005, p. 14.
[12 ]Article 13 Report, Form F, 8
October 2004.
[13 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interviews with several weapons dealers/shopkeepers and weapons manufacturers,
Dara Adam Khel, 17 May 2005.
[14 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interviews with community elders (“maliks”) of Dara Adam Khel, 17
May 2005.
[15]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interviews with local tribal people, media, Army personnel, landmine victims,
teachers and NGO workers in Aurakzai, Bajaur, Kurram and Dara Adam Khel areas of
FATA, and Baluchistan province, 25 April-29 May 2005.
[16 ]In April 2005, Nobel Peace
Laureate Jody Williams received a letter from Baluchi nationalists calling on
her to protest “the ugly action of [the] Pakistani Military” in
laying landmines in Dera Bugti and Kohlu in Baluchistan province. Letter to
Jody Williams, ICBL, from “The Friends of Baloch,” emailed 9 April
2005.
[17 ]Article 13 Report, Form F, 8
October 2004.
[18 ]Article 13 Report, Form B, 8
October 2004.
[19 ]Article 13 Report, Form F, 8
October 2004.
[20 ]Article 13 Report, Form F, 8
October 2004.
[21]Sixth Annual Conference of
States Parties to CCW Amended Protocol II, Summary Record of the 1st
Meeting, Geneva, 17 November 2004 (CCW/AP II/CONF.6/SR.1), 13 May 2005, p.
14.
[22 ]“India, Pakistan seal
deal on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link,” Hindu, 16 February
2005.
[23 ]“Seven injured in
blast on Kashmir bus route,” Dawn, 5 April 2005.
[24 ]Field research by CAMP for
Landmine Monitor in FATA, including interviews with local elders/maliks,
journalists, local administration, NGOs and others, April and May 2005.
Knowledge of the mine use in personal feuds and family disputes was shared by an
overwhelming number of interviewees from diverse sections of society, although
specifics were hard to come by. Some said local mine use techniques could be
traced to two refugee families who allegedly practiced planting and detecting
mines as a profession, and gradually transferred this knowledge to the local
people.
[25 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interview with Mir Zaman Khan and Shakir Ullah, Political Administration
(Tehsildar), Bajaur Agency, 26 April 2005; interviews with Bismillah Khan
(community leader or malik), Mohammad Azam (physician’s aide) and Mohammad
Alamgir (health worker), Bajaur Agency, 26-27 April 2005.
[26 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interviews with social workers, teachers, media, mine victims, tribal leaders,
health professionals and local administrators in Kurram Agency, 9-13 May 2005,
including interview with Ihsan Ullah, Political Administration (Tehsildar).
[27 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interview with Ali Afzal Afzal, Correspondent, GEO Television, Kurram Agency, 10
May 2005.
[28 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interviews with social workers, teachers, media, mine victims, tribal leaders,
health professionals and local administrators in Kurram Agency, 9-13 May
2005.
[29 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interview with Ihsan Ullah, Political Administration (“Tehsildar”),
Kurram Agency, 10 May 2005.
[30 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interview with Javed Ullah, Political Administration (“Tehsildar”),
Kurram Agency, 10 May 2005.
[31 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
review of local newspapers; interviews with an unnamed Army officer and various
journalists, Baluchistan province, 27-29 May 2005. See also, Amir Mir,
“The Centre Cannot Hold...,” South Asia Intelligence Review,
Vol. 3, No. 37, 28 March 2005.
[32 ]“Land mine explosion
kills paramilitary soldier in southwestern Pakistan,” Associated
Press, 27 April 2005.
[33 ]“2 FC Men Injured in a
Mine Blast,” News (Quetta), 4 April 2005.
[34 ]Kanchan Lakshman,
“Musharraf’s Confident Claims Do Not Match Up With Ground
Realities,” www.balochunity.org[35 ]“Two dead in Pakistan
mine blast,” News International, 7 June 2004.
[36 ]Landmine Monitor (CAMP)
interview with Army officer in Quetta, Baluchistan, 29 May 2005. The mines used
are of Soviet-manufacture and allegedly brought in from Afghanistan. Telephone
interview with Haroon Rashid, BBC Correspondent for Pakistan, Peshawar, 17 May
2005.
[37 ]This view was expressed by
several journalists during a group interview by CAMP at Quetta Press Club,
Quetta, Baluchistan, 28 May 2005.
[38 ]“WAPDA man injured in
land mine blast,” Pakistan Press International (Loralai), 4 May
2005.
[39 ]“Landmine kills five
women in southwest Pakistan,” turkishpress.com (Quetta), 31 May
2005.
[40 ]The main sub-tribes of the
Wazirs tribe (clan), apparently using mines, are the Ahmadzai and Yar Gul Khel;
of the Mahsud tribe, the Shaman Khel, Shabi Khel and Bahlolzai sub-clans.
[41 ]Pazir Gul, “Land mine
explosion in Pakistani tribal region kills one man, injures two others,”
Associated Press (Miran Shah), 14 April 2005.
[42 ]“Nine soldiers die in
S. Waziristan blast,” News (Tank), 5 November 2004.
[43 ]“Mine Blasts Kill One,
Injure Four in Pakistan,” Associated Press (Peshawar), 24 October
2004.
[44 ]“Landmine kills three
Pakistani children near the Afghan border,” Agence France-Presse
(Peshawar), 1 October 2004.
[45 ]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004. For mine/UXO contamination reported
in previous years, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1088.
[46 ]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form F, 8 October 2004.
[47 ]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form A, 8 October 2004.
[48 ]Joint Staff Headquarters
Strategic Plans Division, ACDA Directorate, Chaklala Cantonment, Pakistan, 14
February, 2002; Naveed Ahmad Shinwari and Salma Malik, “Situation Analysis
of SALW in Pakistan and Its Impact on Security,” CAMP research paper,
Peshawar, Pakistan, February 2005, p. 13.
[49 ]Rae McGrath, Human Survival
and Development, “Assessment of Organizational Structure and of Operations
and Plans in Response to Landmines and UXO-Affected Communities in the Federally
Administered Tribal Agencies of Pakistan,” August-September 2000, p. 6.
The assessment was carried out for the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action.
[50 ]Rae McGrath, Human Survival
and Development, “Assessment of Organizational Structure and of Operations
and Plans in Response to Landmines and UXO-Affected Communities in the Federally
Administered Tribal Agencies of Pakistan,” August-September 2000, p.
13.
[51 ]This view was expressed by
several journalists during a group interview at Quetta Press Club, Quetta,
Baluchistan, 28 May 2005.
[52 ]Field visit to Kurram,
Aurakzai, Dara Adam Khel and Bajaur in the FATA by local NGO Community Appraisal
and Motivation Program (CAMP), April-May 2005.
[53]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004.
[54]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004.
[55 ]“Srinagar-Muzaffarabad
bus rejuvenates border economy,” Daily Times (Pakistan), 22
February 2005; “India, Pakistan seal deal on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus
link,” Hindu, 16 February 2005. On 7 April 2005, the
Kaarwan-e-Aman (Caravan of Peace) bus service was inaugurated from each end,
simultaneously, by the prime ministers of both countries.
[56 ]Anil Bhatt Hajipeer,
“Army faces onerous task of de-mining Poonch-Rawalkot road,” Outlook
India.com, 4 May 2005, www.outlookindia.com, accessed 7 July
2005.
[57]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Forms A and B, 8 October 2004.
[58 ]CMDO Progress Report, 2004.
Average exchange rate for 2004 £1 = $1.833. US Federal Reserve, “List
of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2005.
[59 ]Information provided by
Naveed Shinwari, then Chief Executive, CMDO, 13 July 2005.
[60 ]Information provided by
Majid Khan, Administration Assistant, BEST, 27 May 2005.
[61]Information provided by
Najeeb Rauf Bhatti, Project Manager, Christian Hospital, Quetta, Baluchistan, 27
May 2005.
[62 ]Email from Tim Carstairs,
Policy Director, Mines Advisory Group, 20 September 2005.
[63 ]“Islamic Relief's mine
risk education programme in AJK,” News International, 24 May 2005.
[64]CCW Amended Protocol II
Article 13 Report, Forms A and B, 8 October 2004.
[65]Casualty statistics sent to
Landmine Monitor (HI) by Raza Shah Khan, Executive Director, SPADO, 29 May 2005.
SPADO maintains a database on landmine and UXO casualties with information
collected from newspapers, field personnel and NGOs working on mine-related
issues.
[66]For details, see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, pp. 1089-1090.
[67 ]CAMP database of landmine
casualties, accessed on 29 May 2005. In 2005, CAMP also started a database on
landmine and UXO casualties based on media reports.
[68 ]“Five killed in
landmine explosion in southeastern Pakistan,” Xinhua (Islamabad), 1
June 2005.
[69 ]“Thousands attend
funerals of Pakistani suspected militants killed by US,” AFP
(Miranshah), 16 July 2005.
[70 ]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Faiz Mohammad Fayyaz, Chief Executive, CMDO, Peshawar, 14 July
2005. SPADO includes these statistics in its database.
[71]Email to Landmine Monitor
from Col. Claes Wolgast, CMPIO/UNMIL, 23 August 2005.
[72]“5000 tribesmen hit by
landmines,” Pakistan Press International (PPI), 3 May 2005;
see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1090.
[73 ]Bajaur Agency, CMDO
database, March 2004. Information provided to Landmine Monitor by Naveed Ahmad
Shinwari, CMDO.
[74]Response International UK,
“A Resume of Mine Action in Pakistan, September 2005,” sent to
Landmine Monitor (HI) by Philip Garvin, CEO, RI, 4 September 2005.
[75 ]“Landmines and UXOs
continue to endanger life in isolated tribal belt,” IRIN, November
2004, www.irinnews.org accessed 4 July
2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1090.
[76 ]See Landmine Monitor
Report 2004, p. 1091 for more information.
[77 ]“Landmines and UXOs
continue to endanger life in isolated tribal belt,” IRIN, November
2004, www.irinnews.org accessed 4
July 2005.
[78 ]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Bakht Sarwar, Director, PIPOS, Peshawar, 24 July 2005.
[79 ]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Ms. Nosheen, Manager, orthopedic workshop, Hayat Shaheed
Hospital, Peshawar, 15 May 2005.
[80 ]Interview with Sibghat ur
Rehman, Hon. Director, RCPD, Peshawar, 14 July 2005; response to Landmine
Monitor Questionnaire by Mr. Imtiaz, CBR trainer, RCPD, Peshawar, 15 May 2005;
see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1091.
[81 ]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Faiz Mohammad Fayyaz, Chief Executive, CMDO, Peshawar, 14 July
2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1091.
[82]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Syed Murad Ali, Executive Director, HDPG, Peshawar, 14 July
2005.
[83 ]Response to Landmine Monitor
Questionnaire by Najeeb Raouf Bhatti, Project Manager, BCRP, Quetta, 27 May
2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1091.
[84]ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Program, “Annual Report 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 29; ICRC
Special Report, “Mine Action 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 29.
[85 ]ICRC Physical Rehabilitation
Program, “Annual Report 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 29; ICRC
Special Report, “Mine Action 2004,” Geneva, June 2005, p. 29.
[86]Email to Landmine Monitor
(HI) from Raza Khan Shah, Chief Executive, SPADO, Peshawar, 29 May 2005; see
also, Standing Tall Australia and Mines Action Canada, “101 Great Ideas
for the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Mine Survivors,” June 2005, p. 69.
Canada provided C$18,900 ($14,519) to SPADO for the promotion of public
awareness and the needs of survivors. Emails from Elvan Isikozlu, Mine Action
Team, Foreign Affairs Canada, June-August 2005. Average exchange rate for 2004:
US$1 = C$1.3017. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates
(Annual),” 3 January 2005.
[87]Email to Landmine Monitor
(HI) from Line Beltran, Officer in charge, Intersos, Peshawar, 13 July 2005, and
Response to Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Line Beltran, 13 July 2005.
[88]For more information, see
“National Consultation on National Plan of Action (NPA) to Implement
National Policy for Persons with Disabilities,” www.worldbank.org.pk.
[89 ]“Landmines and UXOs
continue to endanger life in isolated tribal belt,” IRIN, November
2004, www.irinnews.org, accessed 4 July
2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1090.
[90]For details, see Landmine
Monitor Report 2004, p. 1092.
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