(Image of Pakistani soldiers beating up a man- Video Grab)

A video showing Pakistani soldiers beating up a man in an investigation about Taliban has made waves on youtube and facebook, prompting the Pakistan Army's spokesperson to assure an investigation into the matter. The abuse perpetrated while conducting criminal investigations is old practice in Pakistan, so it merits no raised eyebrows, atleast to cynics. Pakistanis have seen dark days and witnessed worse. This incident though got caught on tape. Whether it is true or fabricated remains to be seen. What has been documented is probable human rights violations by the army in Swat valley in the war against terror by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, as mentioned in my previous post.

Regarding the video, the leading daily, Dawn noted,

"It shows the officer quizzing one man over whether his brother-in-law is a militant. The man says he does not know. The officer then signals for his deputies to begin attacking the suspect. He is punched, lashed with a leather rope and kicked repeatedly while on the ground. He screams 'Have mercy on me, oh God' in Pashto, the language of the northwestern tribal areas close to the Afghan border where the Pakistan army is engaged in anti-militant offensives. Two of the men who were beaten appeared to be in their 50s.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said while it was impossible to confirm the authenticity of the video, such abuses are widespread.

 'I most certainly do not think this is an isolated incident,'' the group's South Asia researcher, Ali Dayan Hasan, told The Associated Press. 'There is nothing in the video that the Pakistani military hasn't perpetrated widely before on civilians or those who cross it."

It is dangerous to take sides on anything nowadays in Pakistan. A misstep, and one might get labeled as a westernized apologist, a step there and one could be deemed as nothing else than a religious freaktrain. Emotions run high, and sensibilities can get abraded easily. I wont go in the obvious questions of why and how this incident got taped and circulated, or if it is authentic or fabricated, or why the soldiers allegedly did what is shown.

However, it does seem to merit concern regarding the image of Pakistan Army, that until now, has been considered a dignified and disciplined institution, despite political adventures on the part of a few generals.Yes, despite the frequent episodes of military rule, that were almost always credited to the top brass. The common soldiers were kept out of the ugliness. Not this time though.

Thus this  allegation needs to be taken seriously. Furthermore, while the army is conducting an operation against militants and losing lives of soldiers, the people dying or displaced are also as much Pakistani as the soldiers of Pakistan army. They deserve no less rights. Does it sound like mambo jambo? Probably so to policy makers/analysts who would ask how the hell one is supposed to investigate possible/alleged criminals/militants.

What wouldnt sound strange to the wits would be possible ramifications of such graphic imagery, as what pakistanis see is how soldiers are beating middle aged men, all in the name of war against terror. Can or will it translate into suicide attacks or street protests, who knows. Maybe, maybe not.What is certain is a feeling of empathy for the men who are being beaten by the soldiers.

There are not many institutions left, politely speaking, in Pakistan who can hold their ground. The few left, need to be serious about their credibility. And human rights as fancy as they sound, in a developing country like Pakistan, do need to exist. What is more, an effort needs to be made to prevent further balkanisation amongst the civil society, through an honest discussion on different forums, without demonising one side or the other. This is not just a military operation against militants. This period and policies will shape sensibilities of Pakistanis just as much as the policies during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan did. Lets hope someone is paying attention this time.