Protection of Human Rights in Post Conflict Situations: Application of the Theory of Transitional Justice

Abstract

No doubt, the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon of the United States in 2001 have drastically changed the entire world including Pakistan. George Bush, the then US President, in a dramatic way declared war on Al-Qaida and its associates by attacking Afghanistan to avenge the attacks justifying these to be in self-defense under the garb of War on Terror. Pakistan was coerced to be initially an ally to the war but later emerged as a frontline state in the fight against terrorism. The country has been badly hit since then sacrificing more than sixty thousand human lives including a former prime minister. Amongst other parts, the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan have sustained almost irreparable loss as a result. Thousands of innocent citizens have not only suffered at the hands of various terrorist groups but also due to repressive measures taken by law enforcement agencies in the country. This paper intends to deploy theory of Transitional Justice to critique security laws, policies and rules of the country that resulted in the violations of human rights in the two provinces particularly at the hands of the security agencies combating terrorism. Theory of Past Injustices is used to restore or repair the human rights violations since the inception of War on Terror. To conclude, innocent citizens in the two provinces have suffered a lot in the War on Terror. Effective laws, policies and mechanisms are required to be put in place to remedy for the human rights violations in the country particularly the two provinces.