Days after the United States announced it would resume the sale of F-16 jet fighters to Pakistan, a new report said Islamabad's human rights record "remained poor" and called for greater "democratisation efforts".
The Musharraf government's human rights record "remained poor, though there were some improvements in several areas," the State Department's report on "Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The US Record 2004-2005" said.
"The United States believes that the success of Pakistan's democratisation efforts is critical to the strength of our long-term relationship and will positively contribute to its effective participation in the global war on terrorism," the 293-page document, a follow-up to the annual country reviews released a month ago, said.
The report issued by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday said constitutional amendments passed by the
Pakistan government have strengthened the powers of the president at the expense of the National Assembly.
"The military remains heavily engaged in politics, and President Musharraf's decision to continue as army chief has spurred political debate. Political parties are generally weak, undemocratic institutions centred on personalities instead of policies."
The judiciary is corrupt, inefficient and malleable to political pressure. Politically motivated prosecutions of opposition figures continue. Leaders of three major parties remained outside the country, and the leader of one opposition party in Parliament remained in prison appealing a conviction for sedition, the report claimed.
The report claimed that the Pakistan media lacked journalistic standards and continues to practice self-censorship in some areas.
It also stated that the security forces have committed numerous human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and torture. Societal discrimination and violence against women and religious minorities persist.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Rights, Democracy and Labour Michael Kozak briefed journalists on the report in the backdrop of the F-16 deal with Pakistan.
Kozak admitted that Pakistan was a 'really difficult case' because it has had this alternating history of elected governments but offered only a lukewarm response when asked if the F-16 deal was depended on additional moves to bolster democracy there.
"I wouldn't make that linkage right now, but, yes, in a more general sense, that any country that expects to have good relations with us... needs to pay attention to their human rights," he said.
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