Torture during physical remand in Pakistan and human rights: Analytical and critical study

Abstract

In history and in all territories} torture has been used as a means of domination to threaten} force} subdue and compel persons and populace for extracting confessions against their will. Torture has been part of humanoid past. Given this global setting and socio-political realism, this research bids revitalising study and analysis of torture during physical remand at the hands of the police department in Pakistan. This paper is primarily based upon the early studies on the subject and ventures to build a need to design a proper legal framework on the subject under consideration. The paper impudently and concisely discusses torture, modes of torture} reported illustrative cases of torture in custody, physical remand} state responsibility with regard to the prohibition of torture} and all these are elaborated in the light of legal provisions and judicial decisions. At the end} the study correctly cautions that unless the law eriforcement agencies are professionally trained, the lacunas in the national legislation are filled, special antitorture laws are enacted and civil society becomes more vigilant, the prevalent practice of torture by police officials will remain a challenge.