LM Report 2006

Pakistan

Key developments since May 2005: Non-state armed groups used antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines and improvised explosive devices extensively in Baluchistan province, and to a lesser extent in Waziristan and other areas of Pakistan. Mine risk education was carried out by NGOs and to some extent by Pakistani authorities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and in Pakistani Kashmir; the British NGOs Islamic Relief and Response International started new mine risk education projects in 2005-2006 in Pakistani Kashmir. In 2005, there were at least 214 casualties from mines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices, an increase from 195 in 2004. In 2006, casualty rates continued to increase, with at least 263 casualties as of 14 May.

Mine Ban Policy

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. While expressing support for the goal of the eventual elimination of antipersonnel mines, Pakistan continues to insist that such mines are essential to its national defense at this time. In February 2006, a Foreign Ministry official told Landmine Monitor that, “the regional security environment and its military requirements have constrained Pakistan from joining the Ottawa Treaty. However, Pakistan continues to scrupulously adhere to a policy...which ensures that mines in its inventory will never become a cause for civilian casualties anywhere, and this position is in line with the basic objectives of the Ottawa Treaty.”^[1]

Pakistan abstained from voting on the pro-treaty UN General Assembly Resolution 60/80 on 8 December 2005, as it had on the previous annual UNGA resolutions. In explaining its vote, Pakistan said, “Given our security compulsions and the need to guard our long borders, not protected by any natural obstacle, the use of landmines forms an important part of our self-defense strategy. As such, it is not possible for Pakistan to agree to the demands for the complete prohibition of anti-personnel landmines till such time that viable alternatives are available.... We are against the irresponsible use of landmines.... We remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of responsibility in the use of these defensive weapons.”^[2]

Pakistan did not attend as an observer the Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Zagreb, Croatia in November-December 2005, and did not participate in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2005 or May 2006.

Pakistan is a member of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), and actively participates in its meetings. Pakistan ratified CCW Amended Protocol II on 9 March 1999, while exercising the option to defer implementation of key technical provisions for a nine-year period. Pakistan participated in the Seventh Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol II in November 2005, and submitted its annual report required by Article 13.^[3] Pakistan has not ratified CCW Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War.

ICBL member Sustainable Peace & Development Organization (SPADO) carried out advocacy activities, including the publication and launch of the report, Landmines and Islamic Teachings, and two media orientation sessions on the landmine ban. Landmine Monitor Report 2005 was released at an event organized by the Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme (CAMP) and SPADO at the Peshawar Press Club in November 2005.

The Canadian government undertook a mission to Pakistan from 11 to 17 March 2006 to promote the Mine Ban Treaty. The delegation included retired General Maurice Baril, the former head of the Canadian Armed Forces and now Special Advisor for Mine Action. They met with defense officials, foreign ministry representatives, and regional leaders from Baluchistan. During the visit, which received extensive media coverage, the Canadian High Commission and SPADO organized a seminar, Towards a Landmine Free World, on 16 March 2006.^[4]

Production, Transfer, Stockpiling and Use

Pakistan is one of a small number of countries still producing antipersonnel mines.^[5] 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.”^[6] Since January 1997, Pakistan Ordnance Factories has been producing detectable versions of hand-emplaced blast mines, in order to be compliant with CCW Amended Protocol II.^[7] Pakistan was reported to be developing a remotely-delivered antipersonnel mine system in 2002, but no further information has been discovered since then.^[8]

Pakistan’s Statutory Regulatory Order No. 123 (1) of 25 February 1999 makes the export of antipersonnel mines illegal.^[9] Pakistan claims that it has not exported mines “since early 1992.”^[10] In the past, the country was a major exporter of landmines. Pakistani-made mines are found in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and other locations.

There is no official information available on the size of Pakistan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile. Landmine Monitor has estimated that Pakistan holds at least six million antipersonnel mines in stockpile, the fifth largest total in the world. Pakistan has stated that by December 2007 all stockpiled low-metal-content mines would be modified and made detectable to be compliant with CCW.^[11] As of early 2006, Pakistan had not completed the modifications.^[12]

Pakistan reported in November 2005 that the Pakistan Army Ordnance Corps “destroys a large number of outdated mines every year.”^[13] Information about the quantity or types of mines destroyed has not been made available.

Pakistani armed forces are regularly reported to seize weapons, including antipersonnel mines, during counter-insurgency operations. Officials have stated that Pakistan destroys confiscated mines.^[14] However, no information is publicly available on the number of confiscated mines or their country of origin.

Landmine Monitor could find no evidence of use of antipersonnel mines by Pakistani armed forces in 2005 or 2006. In its November 2005 CCW report, Pakistan stated, “No new minefields were put in place in the period covered.”^[15] However, it made reference to the “area contiguous to Indo-Pak border, which is likely to be mined during any future escalation....”^[16]

Non-State Armed Groups

In the province of Baluchistan and in the Waziristan agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a number of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) use antipersonnel mines, antivehicle landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against Pakistani armed forces and state administration agencies.

Pakistan has reported that militant groups “have several times used mines and improvised explosive devices against army personnel and civil administration,” and that the Corps of Military Engineers has assisted military and civil authorities in defusing and clearing such devices.^[17] NSAG use of antipersonnel mines was confirmed by community elders, officials, NGOs, journalists and others during Landmine Monitor field visits in Baluchistan, Pakistani Kashmir, Islamabad, Peshawar and FATA in 2005 and early 2006.^[18]

Baluchistan, in particular, has experienced an increase in armed conflict since mid-2005, with Baluchi insurgents—especially those clustering under the banner of the Baluchistan Liberation Army—apparently deploying increasing numbers of landmines and IEDs, as indicated by field interviews, media reports and the increasing number of casualties. The insurgents have targeted government infrastructure including trains, railway lines, electricity and telephone towers, a gas pipeline and outposts of the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps. One news report stated that between 2002 and 2005, a total of 843 attacks and incidents of violence took place in Baluchistan province, including 291 “mine blasts.”^[19]

There are three main Baluch factions (Marri, Bugti and Mengal), which are active in four districts (Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Barkhaan and Mussa Khel). While the factions sometimes fight with each other, there is a unifying animosity toward the state.^[20] Each faction is believed to use landmines. Journalists visiting some militant camps have noted antipersonnel mines encircling the camps and observed fighters being trained to lay mines.^[21] During early 2006, the military reportedly claimed to have destroyed about half of the estimated 40 insurgent camps, confiscating large quantities of weapons, including landmines.^[22]

The militants have also laid mines offensively along roadsides in the districts of Dera Bugti, Kohlu and Bolan, according to several sources.^[23]

Militants in Baluchistan are reported to acquire landmines on the clandestine market in tribal areas.^[24] Landmines are allegedly smuggled from Afghanistan to the central point of Wana in Waziristan, and then to Zhob district (Baluchistan) and to Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Barkhaan and Mussa Khel.^[25]

There has also been mine use in the Waziristan agency of FATA, most notably by the Wazir and Mahsud tribes.^[26] It was reported in March 2006 that an alliance of the local tribes, foreign militants and Islamic students eager for jihad had stepped up resistance in a region where the army claims to have destroyed al-Qaida as a viable fighting force.^[27] Local news reports and other sources indicate that these tribes and their sub-tribes have used landmines and both command- and victim-detonated IEDs frequently against government forces, both offensively and defensively. The militants reportedly obtain mines and IEDs from sources in Afghanistan and the clandestine market.^[28]

Landmines and IEDs are also known to be used in family and personal feuds, tribal clashes and sectarian violence, particularly in the Aurakzai, Kurram and Bajaur agencies of FATA.^[29] The political administration in Bajaur agency took some experimental measures to stop the use of landmines in three villages in Mamund Tehsil. The use of landmines in personal feuds has reportedly decreased in those villages due to collective arrest in areas where a landmine incident occurs.^[30]

Landmine and ERW Problem

Despite claims in both 2004 and 2005 by Pakistan that it “faces no problem of uncleared mines,”^[31] there is evidence that Pakistan is mine-affected. There is also an unquantified problem from explosive remnants of war (ERW).^[32] In late 2004, Pakistan declared that: “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.”^[33] Moreover, it said, “mines have never caused humanitarian concerns in Pakistan, despite having fought three wars with India and... military standoff during 2001–2002.”^[34]

However, inhabitants of Pakistani Kashmir have claimed that some areas along the Line of Control are still contaminated and have not been properly fenced by the militaries of either India or Pakistan.^[35] Thus, in its report in accordance with Article 13 of CCW Amended Protocol II, Pakistan declared that: “Field trips were conducted by local formations deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) to familiarize both military personnel and civilians with the locations of minefields.”^[36] In contrast to local reports, Pakistan claims that: “Minefields laid along the Line of Control (LoC) are properly fenced and clearly marked to impose requisite caution on civilians living in the surrounding areas.”^[37]

The government has also acknowledged that, “the problems of landmines in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) near Pak-Afghan border still persist to some extent.”^[38] The contamination dates from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), when mines were scattered by Soviet and Afghan forces from helicopters and mujahideen used mines to protect their bases in the tribal areas.^[39]

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 remotely delivered PFM-1 blast mine, Soviet PMN, PMD-6 and M46 bottle mine, and other mines manufactured by Pakistani Ordnance Factories.^[40] Significant quantities of weaponry, including landmines, entered Pakistan during the Afghan war, and are undocumented and unaccounted for.^[41]

In Baluchistan, areas known to be mined include Rait, on the Afghan border near Spin Boldak in Chaman district. Local journalists report that an average of four to five incidents occur in these areas each year.^[42] Other areas which have a mine problem include Mekhter and Chambalang, near the district border of Loralai, which are affected by Pushtun and Baluch tribal disputes due to the coal mines. Kirbag, the homeland of the Mari Baluchi tribe, is also affected.^[43]

Mines are reportedly planted by NSAGs defensively near 40 farari (insurgent) camps, in mountains and plains and for offensive purposes, along roads. One source indicated that mines have been used extensively in the districts of Dera Bugti and Kohlu.^[44] The militants allegedly planted mines along 160 kilometers of road from Modh to Kahaan.^[45] Armed groups have also laid mines along the sides of roads leading to coal mines in Marwar, Margat, Maror and Indus in Mach Tehsil of Bolan district.^[46] In February 2006, a district coordination officer warned people from traveling on roads in Dera Bugti until mines could be cleared.^[47]

The mine problem in FATA and Baluchistan appears to have been exacerbated by widespread availability of landmines and the continuing use of mines, as well as IEDs, in local conflicts.^[48] In 2005, the number of casualties in Pakistan from mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and IEDs increased significantly compared with 2004.

Mine Action Program

Pakistan has no formal civilian mine action program. Mine and ERW clearance is carried out by engineer units of the armed forces. The government has asserted that “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.”^[49] Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Constabulary has also undertaken demining operations in Kashmir.^[50]

On the border with India, army engineer units are reported to “have ensured complete mine clearance.”^[51] Officials acknowledge that some areas near the Line of Control remain uncleared ,but say they are properly marked and civilians are not allowed to enter.^[52] According to its latest CCW Article 13 report, “Existing perimeter marking signs have been painted and marked according to AP- II standards.” But Pakistan also reports that: “To effectively mark and fence the mine fields, government has substantially increased the authorization of stores for minefield marking and fencing.”^[53] Moreover, experts have also warned that mines may have shifted as a result of the 8 October 2005 earthquake and landslides in Kashmir and North West Frontier Province areas, which may pose a threat to aid workers and the civilian population living along the Line of Control. This has compelled thousands of people to migrate from villages/areas where there is a danger of landmines.^[54]

Demining of the road between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar in Kashmir as a confidence-building measure resulting from the peace dialogue between Pakistan and India allowed the road to open to civilian traffic in April 2005 for the first time since partition in 1947.^[55] It was expected that this may be followed by a route across the Line of Control, between Rawalakot and Poonch, after clearance of mines on the Indian side.^[56]

In August 2005, Pakistan reported that its army has undertaken mine clearance operations as part of UN missions in Kuwait, Angola, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Eastern Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[57] In November 2005, its CCW Article 13 report noted also that it had undertaken clearance operations in Kuwait, Lebanon, East Timor and Afghanistan.^[58]

Mine Risk Education

In its 2005 CCW Article 13 report, Pakistan stated that, “civilians residing in area contiguous to Indo-Pak border, which is likely to be mined during any future escalation, were educated on the mines, minefields, and the safety precautions.” Also, “members of municipal authorities regularly visited different colonies/small villages close to border with India and Afghanistan, and delivered lectures to the parents and elders.”^[59]

In November 2005, Pakistan acknowledged the role of NGOs in conducting mine risk education (MRE), mentioning the Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines and Community Motivation and Development Organization (CMDO), which is “contributing to safeguard the locals of Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) from the mines left behind by Soviet troops in Afghanistan.” The report also mentions that, “Army engineers have launched a comprehensive programme to educate the locals of border belt with Afghanistan regarding the hazards posed by mines.”^[60]

Non-governmental organizations providing mine risk education (MRE) in 2005 and 2006 included Response International UK through its local partner CMDO and another British NGO, Islamic Relief, assisted by Mines Advisory Group. Four NGOs listed in Landmine Monitor Report 2005 are no longer involved in MRE; as a consequence, MRE is no longer provided to Afghan refugees living in camps in Baluchistan and Peshawar. Most refugees have returned and those still in camps have had MRE lessons.^[61]

In 2005 Islamic Relief initiated an MRE program as part of its health education program in Kashmir in partnership with Mines Advisory Group (MAG). Following an initial 10-day needs assessment in March 2005, MAG facilitated a training-of-trainers in MRE for 20 Islamic Relief field staff.^[62] Islamic Relief imparts training to community leaders on MRE through master trainers and then the MRE is internalized by the community leaders within their communities on the Line of Control in Neelum Valley and Bagh district. An average group size for MRE sessions is 30.^[63] The MRE program is expected to benefit approximately 70,000 people. The annual budget is £50,000 (US$91,000) and funds are being provided by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.^[64]

In May 2006, MAG returned to Pakistani Kashmir to evaluate the training-of-trainers course. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the project was also carried out. Based on the results, MAG conducted a four-day refresher workshop focusing on methods for MRE evaluation and targeting high risk groups in the communities.^[65]

Response International UK launched MRE in Kurram agency in 2003, in partnership with CMDO as part of a community-based project covering MRE, community strengthening, victim assistance and advocacy. The project employed one female and one male MRE team, each team consisting of two MRE instructors; the male team also included one paramedic.^[66] The project targeted children, who were encouraged to share what they had learnt with their peers and family members. Instructors, initially trained “by experienced members of the well respected Afghan Mine Action Programme,” would go from village to village and provide “mine awareness at public places such as Hujra, playgrounds, mosques and Madrassas (religious institutions).”^[67] From February 2003 to January 2006, 268,546 civilians (159,937 male, 108,609 female) received MRE, mainly in schools, mosques and other public places (in schools 114,869 were reached: 89,876 male, 24,993 female).^[68]

During 2005, around 13,000 pictorial leaflets, carrying messages in Urdu and Pashto, were designed and distributed in Kurram agency. The paramedic worked alongside the MRE teams and taught first aid and primary care for mine casualties.^[69] The project also employed two male community development workers “to form and strengthen at least 20 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) ... so that local communities develop their own capacity for delivering sustainable mine action services.”^[70] The CBOs assisted CMDO and Response International in project implementation. Some were also active in MRE activities on a voluntary basis in their respective areas and reported mine incidents.^[71] The three-year project ended in January 2006; total funding for the project was £300,000 ($546,000) from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. An external evaluation was undertaken at the end of the project, but results have not been made available to Landmine Monitor.^[72] The project aimed to reach the entire population of Kurram agency; it managed to reach around 60 percent.^[73]

In February 2006, Response International launched a second MRE project, in Rawalakot in Pakistani Kashmir. Islamic Relief helped in identifying the project area.^[74]

Landmine/UXO/IED Casualties

In 2005 there were at least 212 new casualties, according to SPADO, including 64 people killed and 148 injured, caused by landmines, UXO or IEDs; 127 were civilians, including nine children and 15 women.^[75] This represents an increase from 195 casualties (67 killed and 128 injured) reported in 2004.^[76] Of the total in 2005, 127 were caused by antivehicle mines, 44 by antipersonnel mines, 30 by IEDs and 11 by UXO. Most of the casualties (115) were recorded in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas, 51 in North Waziristan, 38 in South Waziristan, 24 in Bajaur, one in Kurram, and one unknown.^[77] In the remaining four provinces, 33 casualties were recorded in Baluchistan, 64 (compared to nine in 2004) in the Northwest Frontier Province, and none in Punjab and Sindh. There was a sharp increase in casualties in December 2005, which continued in the first months of 2006; 68 casualties were reported in December alone, mainly due to rising tensions in Baluchistan. Most incidents occurred while people were traveling. In Bajaur, the number of mine incidents usually increases during cultivation (April-June) and harvesting (September-November) seasons.^[78]

CAMP also recorded media reports of 157 casualties in 2005, including 41 killed and 67 injured in 30 antipersonnel mine and 15 antivehicle mine incidents; seven people were killed and 13 injured in four UXO incidents; six people were killed and 12 injured in seven grenade accidents, and two people were killed and nine injured in two IED incidents. At least 11 casualties were children and 16 were women.^[79]

Landmine Monitor recorded one additional incident, which was not reported in national media, when a husband planted a mine against his second wife, causing the wife to lose one leg.^[80] A local journalist in Pakistani Kashmir also knew of a mine incident not reported in national media, which occurred in 2005 after the 8 October earthquake, in which a woman was injured.^[81] Response International’s database in Kurram agency recorded four casualties in 2005; it will continue to record casualties via its network of community-based organizations.^[82]

Casualties continued to be reported at a rapidly increasing rate in 2006. SPADO recorded 75 people killed and 96 others injured by 22 March 2006; 99 were civilians, including 47 children. The majority of casualties were caused by antivehicle mines (90); 31 were caused by UXO, 25 by antipersonnel mines and 25 by IEDs. Seventy-three percent of casualties (125) occurred in Baluchistan due to the intensified conflict; 19 percent occurred in FATA (32); eight percent in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) (14).^[83]

As of 9 May 2006, CAMP recorded 300 casualties as reported in the media, including 74 killed and 145 injured in 18 antipersonnel mine and 31 antivehicle mine incidents; three people were killed and two injured in two UXO incidents; two people were killed and three injured in two grenade incidents and nine people were killed and 62 injured in 10 IED incidents. At least 19 children and seven women were injured or killed.^[84]

Landmine Monitor recorded at least 44 additional casualties in 2006 reported in the media, including 11 killed and 33 injured, as of 14 May 2006.^[85] Response International did not record any casualties in Kurram agency up to May 2006.^[86]

There is no comprehensive reporting or data collection system in Pakistan and many mine/UXO/IED 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. However, there is little cooperation between various actors to come to a unified dataset; gaps as well information overlap are likely. Therefore, the total number of casualties is not known.

Between 2002 and 2005, SPADO has recorded 656 casualties, including 237 killed and 419 injured.^[87] According to CMDO and the Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines, it is estimated that there are 5,000 landmine casualties in the tribal areas.^[88]

In a household survey, completed in January 2006 by Response International and CMDO in Kurram agency, 7,189 households were surveyed: 706 reported mine casualties in their household, including 293 people killed; 241 required an amputation; 172 suffered other injuries; 122 were under 19 years of age and 552 were between 19 and 65 years old; 82 were female.^[89] All the casualties were civilian, and the survey included Afghan refugees and nomadic groups traveling between Afghanistan and Pakistan. A mine/UXO database has been set up to facilitate interventions in the future. Response International in the United Kingdom is working on making the database more easily accessible.^[90] In December 2005, Response International launched a household survey of mine casualties in Pakistani Kashmir, which is scheduled to last until November 2007. As a result of a preliminary survey, 150 mine/UXO survivors have been identified in areas close to the Line of Control near the Pakistan-India border in Abaspur and Hajira in Rawalakot district (Pakistani Kashmir). “As a great number of the population lives close to the minefields of the LoC, the actual number of victims is estimated to be much higher.”^[91] During a meeting with the Relief & Rehabilitation Commission of Muzaffarabad (Azad and Jammu Kashmir), Response International was told that there were some areas where landmine survivors constitute 0.8 to one percent of the total population, with some areas having five to seven percent survivors, especially in the Leepa Valley.^[92]

Survivor Assistance

There are no specialized medical, surgical or first aid facilities for landmine casualties close to the mine-affected areas in Pakistan, 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 social infrastructure. The Agency Headquarter Hospital in Bajaur agency planned to expand its services for landmine casualties with more ambulances for emergency evacuation and free medicines in 2006. The hospital provides emergency medical care and surgery, mainly to mine-injured people. In 2005, it assisted 30 landmine casualties with emergency trauma care.^[93] However, the hospital is not well equipped and has limited resources.^[94]

There are no services available for landmine survivors in Pakistani Kashmir. Injured landmine survivors are only provided with first aid services in local hospitals and are then transferred to the Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi and General Hospital Rawalpindi for further treatment.^[95] Private or military vehicles transport the casualties for which the government or army covers the cost.^[96] The World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UN Family and Population Fund Agency established temporary primary healthcare units in Kashmir.^[97]

Despite the repatriation of refugees to Afghanistan, Afghan mine survivors residing in Pakistan continue to use the Pakistani medical infrastructure, which adds an additional strain in an already densely populated country.^[98]

According to the government, “Pakistan has well-equipped workshops for the benefit of Afghan casualties.... Many doctors have also specialized in orthopaedic rehabilitation.”^[99] However, there are no known government-run rehabilitation programs for mine survivors in the mine-affected areas.^[100] The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that prior to the October 2005 earthquake, the national physical rehabilitation sector was not able to meet the needs. “Except for military personnel rehabilitation services were not easily available for the vast majority of Pakistani physically disabled.”^[101] Services are not available in Azad and Jammu Kashmir, and are weak in Baluchistan and NWFP, as only 10 percent of patients in Quetta are Pakistani, and services are better and more accessible in Peshawar where 88 percent of the patients are Pakistani. Afghan refugees have very limited access to the physical rehabilitation services due to the cost, and the quality of services is often poor.^[102]

The Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar have rehabilitation centers, where prostheses, physiotherapy and other assistive devices are available on a partial payment basis. Landmine survivors from Pakistani Kashmir are usually treated in Rawalpindi. The average rehabilitation time for the fitting of prostheses is three weeks, and the cost for below-knee prostheses is about $600-$700.^[103] Reportedly, “casualties that have occurred consequent to the use of improvised explosive devices/mines by terrorists” are provided monetary compensation, artificial limbs, and employment assistance, depending on the nature of the injury. These services are open to both civilians and military personnel; however, the latter also receive a disability allowance.^[104]

The Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) provides prostheses, orthoses and physiotherapy treatment on a payment and sponsoring basis, assisting more than 3,000 people per year (2,000 appliances). In 2005, PIPOS provided assistance to 36 mine/UXO survivors from FATA with funding provided by the PIPOS Fund for 11, and from other sources, including the government, for the other 25. In 2006, PIPOS worked on the establishment of a regional rehabilitation center in FATA and one at the divisional level in Peshawar in collaboration with ICRC and the FATA directorate. After the October earthquake, PIPOS established four satellite prosthetic centers in collaboration with Handicap International. The annual budget of PIPOS is approximately Rs.15 million (about $250,000) from different sources, including government, service charges and international funding organizations. The center has 45 full-time staff, including 25 technicians and one psychologist. PIPOS indicated it needs external assistance for staff capacity-building and technical training. There is a waiting list. PIPOS also organized a degree course in prosthetics and orthotics, and a physiotherapy degree in conjunction with the University of Peshawar. In 2006, PIPOS arranged four scholarships for faculty members for further training in Australia.^[105]

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 people with disabilities. In 2005, 650 inpatient and 600 outpatient people with disabilities benefited from the services, including 10 landmine survivors; an additional 200 to 300 people with disabilities are on the waiting list. In 2005, the program provided 900 prostheses. Patients are required to pay 40 percent of the service charges; however, poor patients’ fees are usually paid in full through the government’s Zakaat Foundation, and there are regular free physiotherapy sessions. The government runs the program with a budget of approximately Rs.3.5 million (about $58,600) annually. The program has a staff of 23 personnel, including one manager, 11 technicians and one social worker. Despite its production capacity, the center lacks raw materials to be able to expand its activities. Additional challenges are the lack of cooperation with the Health Department, technical staff and disability awareness.^[106]

The Department of Health of NWFP has supported the physical rehabilitation program for the disabled in the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, since 1997. The center provides modern physiotherapy services and a day care center for pain and paralysis. In 2005, an average of 15 people with disabilities per day benefited from the free of charge services, including a few landmine survivors. The program is funded by the government Health Department and its annual budget is allocated on a needs basis. The program is managed by one doctor, one physiotherapist, three technicians and one social worker, and needs more human resources. However, there is no waiting list. The center also sees the lack of disability awareness, and the lack of government and community attention, as challenges.^[107]

The Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar has a government-run orthopedic workshop providing prostheses and other mobility devices. In 2005, 944 people with disabilities were assisted, including 12 landmine survivors, and 30 prostheses were fitted. There is no waiting list. The government pays salaries of the workshop staff and the workshop management generates resources for the sustainability of the workshop through service charges from the patients on a non-profit basis. One orthopedic surgeon and 10 technicians manage the program.^[108]

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. 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); and one in Quetta. The establishment of eight more CBR centers in Punjab, NWFP and FATA is scheduled for 2006. RCDP provided equipment and physiotherapy training to 85 CBR centers in Pakistan, and micro-loans and small grants to 16 centers. In 2005, the center provided physiotherapy sessions to 2,210 outpatients and 1,217 inpatients; and produced 1,010 artificial limbs and 34 wheelchairs. It also provided 18 sewing machines, assisted 50 disabled students in schools and colleges, gave direct assistance to 374 disabled people, and 935 children benefited from inclusive education in the Montessori system, funded by Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau, Italy. The program has 25 prosthetic/orthotics technicians, and two social workers. The annual budget of the center is Rs. four million ($66,962). The Pakistan Center for Philanthropy carried out an evaluation of RCDP in 2006.^[109]

Response International (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 and in Sadda Tehsil Hospital. A male and a female physiotherapist carried out an outreach physiotherapy service for mine/UXO survivors unable to visit the centers due to their poor physical and/or financial condition. In 2005, 400 mine/UXO survivors received physiotherapy treatments, and approximately 100 mine/UXO survivors received walking aids (85 pairs of elbow crutches and 11 wheelchairs). The project is funded by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. In central Kurram, RI is working in one of the most isolated and underdeveloped areas of Pakistan, with no other international presence and strict tribal rule, which challenges its ability to reach more people.^[110] As of May 2006, RI had obtained permission from the local authorities to set up physical rehabilitation centers in Kurram and in Pakistani Kashmir.^[111]

Sarhad Society for Rehabilitation of Disabled, established with government support in 1982 in Peshawar, provides physical rehabilitation and psychosocial support and reintegration of people with disabilities, mainly children. In 2005, 30 people benefited from the services, which are not free of charge. The program is managed by one physiotherapist, seven technical staff and one social worker; lack of resources impedes the center’s expansion.^[112]

Habib Medical Complex in Peshawar runs the Physiotherapy for Disability program, including physiotherapy services for people with disabilities and a day care center for pain and paralysis, as well as awareness raising seminars. In 2005, 15,000 people with disabilities, including a few landmine survivors, received physiotherapy treatment in the center and via medical camps in the earthquake area. Patients pay a nominal fee. The program is funded by grants from the National Council of Social Welfare Islamabad, ICRC, UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Afghan Commission. In 2006, Habib Medical Complex was in the process of starting a degree program for physiotherapy.^[113]

In 2005, the Human Development Promotion Group (HDPG) assisted 14 landmine survivors under 18 years from Bajaur agency with artificial limbs, medical assistance, physiotherapy and reconstructive surgery. There are 16 people on the waiting list. The program needs female staff to be able to rehabilitate female survivors. HDPG hired the services of PIPOS for the provision of 40 prostheses to landmine survivors. HDPG also covers the costs of travel to Peshawar, and food and accommodation during treatment.^[114]

The Christian Hospital Rehabilitation Center is supported by ICRC for running costs, including staff salaries. In 2005, the orthopedic and prosthetic unit produced and adjusted 33 devices for 32 patients, including 11 mine survivors. Additionally, an average of 10 prostheses per month are repaired. The physiotherapy unit carries out between 200 and 350 physiotherapy sessions a month for an average of 100 patients. The annual budget of the program is Rs.4.32 million ($72,319).^[115]

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 primary aim of the project, prior to the October 2005 earthquake, was to increase accessibility to services for physically disabled living in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, NWFP and Baluchistan through the establishment of referral services. ICRC has signed collaboration agreements with three reference centers: the Artificial Limb Centre managed by the Fauji Foundation in Rawalpindi was selected to receive patients from Azad and Jammu Kashmir; PIPOS in Peshawar was selected to receive patients from the NWFP; Baluchistan Community Rehabilitation Program managed by the Christian Hospital in Quetta was selected to receive patients from Baluchistan and Afghanistan. In addition, Afghan patients able to pass the border and living in refugee camps in NWFP were referred to the ICRC physical rehabilitation center in Jalalabad (Afghanistan). The referral of patients from the different areas to the different centers started at the beginning of 2005, except for the referral of patients from Azad and Jammu Kashmir, which started three days prior to the October earthquake; in December 2005, the referral system in Azad and Jammu Kashmir restarted. It was decided to adapt the project to the new situation as a minimum of 800 persons have had amputations following the earthquake, and some 500 suffering from spinal cord injuries have been identified. The ICRC hospital in Muzaffarabad also treated a significant number of patients requiring orthoses for treatment of peripheral nerve lesions. To cope with the increasing demand, the ICRC has donated material, equipment and components to produce 200 prostheses using polypropylene technology and will build a new rehabilitation center in Muzafarrabad, pending government approval. In 2005, 2,544 patients received services with the assistance of ICRC, including 638 mine survivors. ICRC provided 804 prostheses, 41 wheelchairs, 264 crutches and 41 orthoses free of charge, as well as free transport and lodging. Following ICRC training of staff from the three centers in polypropylene technology, all patients referred by ICRC to these centers will be fitted with polypropylene prostheses and orthoses.^[116]

Disabled Rehabilitation and Independence Program was created in Islamabad in 2003 by a group of people with disabilities, educated abroad, to provide physiotherapy, speech therapy and care for people with spinal injuries and polio in Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Kashmir and Mansehra. In 2005, 100 people with disabilities received rehabilitation services and 500 wheelchairs were distributed; patients pay a nominal fee of Rs.10 ($0.17) for services. The program also provides vocational training and accessibility seminars and has an annual budget of Rs.five million (about $83,700), funded nationally and internationally. The program is managed by four physiotherapists, two speech therapists, one rehabilitation specialist, one psychologist and five other staff.^[117]

The Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education is running 64 special education centers for the education, training and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Four vocational training centers for disabled persons in four provinces provide training to people with disabilities.^[118]

On 3 December 2005, Edhi Foundation of Pakistan and Sindh Disability Forum launched a transport employment scheme for people with physical disabilities in Karachi. The first of 10 tricycle rickshaws was provided in March 2006.^[119]

The International Organization for Migration is involved in income-generating projects for vulnerable groups. 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.^[120] Other organizations providing vocational training and services for people with disabilities include Special Education Complex in Hayatabad (Peshawar), Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of Disabled and Hope Organization in Mue Hospital, Lahore.

Disability Policy and Practice

The 1981 Disabled Person (Empowerment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance protects the rights of people with disabilities, including with employment quotas and/or remittances from the Disabled Persons Rehabilitation Fund; the ordinance also established the National Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons.^[121] However, the legislation has not been implemented.^[122] The Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education is responsible for issues relating to assistance to people with disabilities, but does not have special provisions for landmine survivors. A national policy for people 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.^[123]

Landmine survivors are entitled to the same welfare services as other people with disabilities. 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.^[124] Most people with physical disabilities are cared for within the family network, but some people with disabilities were forced into begging and organized criminals took much of their earnings. The National Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled provided some job placement and loan facilities.^[125]

Due to the October 2005 earthquake, the authorities are planning to improve healthcare in the quake region, while enhancing disabled access and being more sensitive to gender and environment issues.^[126] In December 2005, the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability organized a capacity-building workshop for the empowerment of people with disabilities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Special Education, with participation from relevant ministries, disabled people’s organizations, the World Bank, US Agency for International Development and Handicap International.^[127]

It is anticipated that the 2008 census will include disability questions.^[128] Pakistan is a signatory to the Proclamation on the Full Participation of People with Disabilities in the Asian and Pacific Region.^[129]

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[1] Interview with Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, Deputy Director for Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, 14 February 2006.
[2] Pakistan, “Explanation of Vote on the draft resolution,” undated but 28 October 2005. The remarks were made after the vote on the draft resolution in First Committee.
[3] The official report circulated by the UN (CCW/AP.II/CONF.7/NAR.39) is dated 2 November 2005, though Pakistan lists the date of submission as 19 September 2005.
[4] Graeme Smith, “Retired Canadian general takes land-mine campaign to Pakistan,” The Globe and Mail (Toronto), 17 March 2006; “95% victims of landmines are civilians,” Pakistan Press International Information Services (Islamabad), 16 March 2006; “Pakistan has 5th largest stockpile of landmines,” Dawn (Islamabad), 17 March 2006.
[5] Pakistan Ordnance Factories, located at Wah cantonment, is a state-owned company established in 1951 that in the past produced six types of antipersonnel landmines, two minimum-metal blast mines (P2Mk1 and P4Mk2), two bounding fragmentation mines (P3Mk2 and P7Mk1), and two directional fragmentation Claymore-type mines (P5Mk1 and P5Mk2).
[6] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form D, 8 October 2004.
[7] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form C, 2 November 2005, p. 9; 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 to Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines Coordinator from Joint Staff Headquarters, Chaklala Cantonment, 4 April 2002.
[9] As a matter of policy, Pakistan has had a complete ban on the export of landmines since March 1997. CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form D, 2 November 2005, p. 10.
[10] Letter from Joint Staff Headquarters, 14 February 2002. Previously Pakistan said it had not exported since 1991.
[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] Interview with Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, 14 February 2006.
[13] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 2 November 2005, p. 8.
[14] Interview with Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, 14 February 2006.
[15] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 2 November 2005, p. 8.
[16] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form A, 2 November 2005, p. 5.
[17] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 2 November 2005, p. 7.
[18] Interviews April-May 2005 and January-February 2006.
[19] Naveed Ahmad, “Trouble in Pakistan’s energy-rich Balochistan,” ISN Security Watch, 30 January 2006, www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=14606.
[20] Frederic Grare, “Pakistan: The Resurgence of Baluch Nationalism,” Carnegie Papers, No. 65, January 2006; Naveed Ahmad, “Trouble in Pakistan’s energy-rich Balochistan,” ISN Security Watch, 30 January 2006.
[21] Zaffar Abbas, “Pakistan’s battle over Balochistan,” BBC News (Islamabad), 27 January 2006; “An exclusive visit by Quetta journalists to ‘Kahan Training Camps for Resistance’ in Balochistan,” Sindh Today, Special Report, Issue No. 95-98, 15 January 2006.
[22] Interview with Mohammad Ibraheem Shirani, District Organizer (Zhob), Pakistan Muslim League, Quetta, 16 February 2006; interview with Watan Yar Khilji, President, Pakistan Federal Union of Correspondents, Quetta, 16 February 2006.
[23] Interview with Ghulam Hussain Zarkon, Tribal Elder in Loralai district (Baluchistan), Quetta, 17 February 2006; “Pakistan's battle over Balochistan,” BBC Islamabad, 27 January 2006; interview with Watan Yar Khilji, President, Zhob District Press Club, Quetta, 16 February 2006.
[24] Interview with Watan Yar Khilji, Zhob District Press Club, Baluchistan, 16 February 2006.
[25] Interview with Tribal Elder, Quetta, 16 February 2006.
[26] Since March 2004, the Pakistan Army has been operational in South Waziristan Agency against tribes allegedly involved in harboring Taliban and al-Qaeda terrorist activities. The main sub-tribes of the Wazirs tribe (clan) that are apparently using mines are the Ahmadzai and Yar Gul Khel, and of the Mahsud tribe, the Shaman Khel, Shabi Khel and Bahlolzai sub-clans.
[27] Matthew Pennington, “Unrest in Pakistan Setback for Terror War,” Associated Press, 9 March 2006.
[28] Interviews with Haroon Rashid, Senior Correspondent for BBC in Pakistan, Peshawar, 28 February 2006, Mehmood Jan Babar, Correspondent for AVT Khyber Channel, 23 February 2006, and Mohammad Ali, staff reporter, News International, 23 February 2006.
[29] For more details on this type of mine use, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 844-846. Knowledge of the use of mines 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.
[30] Interview with Javed Ullah, Tehsildar, Political Administration of Bajaur agency, 28 February 2006. According to the Frontier Crimes Regulation, if a person or group of persons of a family or tribe commits a crime, the entire family or tribe is held responsible and subject to collective arrest by the local political administration.
[31] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Reports, Form B, 8 October 2004 and 2 November 2005. For mine/UXO contamination reported in previous years, see Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1088.
[32] Under Protocol V to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, explosive remnants of war are defined as unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance. Mines are explicitly excluded from the definition.
[33] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004.
[34] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form F, 8 October 2004.
[35] Community Appraisal and Motivation Program (CAMP) interviews with journalists, human rights activists and mine action NGOs in Azad Kashmir, 21–23 February 2006.
[36] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form A, 2 November 2005.
[37] Ibid.
[38] Ibid, 8 October 2004. Similarly, in 2005, Pakistan reported that, “The problems of landmines left by Soviet troops on Pak-Afghan border still persist.” Ibid, 2 November 2005.
[39] Joint Staff Headquarters Strategic Plans Division, ACDA Directorate, Chaklala Cantonment, 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.
[40] 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.
[41] Joint Staff Headquarters Strategic Plans Division, ACDA Directorate, Chaklala Cantonment, 14 February 2002; Naveed Ahmad Shinwari and Salma Malik, “Situation Analysis of SALW in Pakistan and Its Impact on Security,” CAMP research paper, Peshawar, February 2005, p. 13.
[42] CAMP interview with several journalists during a group interview at Quetta Press Club, Quetta, 28 May 2005. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 847.
[43] This view was expressed by several journalists during a group interview at Quetta Press Club, Quetta, 28 May 2005.
[44] Interview with Ghulam Hussain Zarkon, Quetta, 17 February 2006. See also, “Pakistan’s battle over Balochistan,” BBC Islamabad, 27 January 2006.
[45] It is alleged that 1,500 mines were planted along this road, but no independent verification is available. Interview with Watan Yar Khilji, Zhob District Press Club, Quetta, 16 February 2006.
[46] Muhammad Ejaz Khan, “Jam asks people to support action against miscreants,” News International, 20 January 2006.
[47] “Pakistani gas pipeline blown up,” BBC News Online, 23 February 2006.
[48] CAMP field visit to Kurram, Aurakzai, Dara Adam Khel and Bajaur in the FATA, April-May 2005.
[49] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004.
[50] Interview with Mohammed Tashfeen, former political agent of Kurram, Parachinar, 4 February 2006.
[51] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 8 October 2004.
[52] CAMP interview with Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad, 14 February 2006.
[53] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Forms B and C, 2 November 2005.
[54] CAMP interview with Farooq Khan, Truth and Justice Commission, Muzaffarabad, 21 February 2006.
[55] “Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus rejuvenates border economy,” Daily Times (Pakistan), 22 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] Statement by Pakistan, Meeting of the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Mines other than Antipersonnel Mines, Geneva, 3 August 2005.
[58] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form E, 2 November 2005.
[59] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Forms A and B, 2 November 2005.
[60] Ibid.
[61] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, Chief Executive, CAMP, 13 May 2006; see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 849.
[62] Email from Tim Carstairs, Director of Policy, MAG, 20 September 2005.
[63] Response to Landmine Monitor MRE Questionnaire by Haroon Kash, Head of Program, Islamic Relief, Islamabad, 28 February 2006.
[64] “Islamic Relief's mine risk education programme in AJK,” News International, 24 May 2005. See also www.islamic-relief.com. Average exchange rate for 2005: £1 = US$1.820, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[65] Interview with Annelise Dennis, Community Liaison Manager, MAG, Peshawar, 15 May 2006.
[66] Response to Landmine Monitor MRE Questionnaire by Ahmed Masoud, MRE Manager, Response International (RI), 28 February 2006.
[67] See www.responseinternational.org.uk/pakistan_project3.htm, accessed 2 May 2006.
[68] RI, “Mine Awareness And Risk Avoidance,” undated, in email, 13 May 2006.
[69] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, CAMP, 13 May 2006.
[70] See www.responseinternational.org.uk.
[71] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, CAMP, 13 May 2006.
[72] Response to Landmine Monitor MRE questionnaire by Ahmed Masoud, RI, 28 February 2006. Average exchange rate for 2005: £1 = US$1.820, used throughout this report. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 3 January 2006.
[73] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinwari, CAMP, 16 May 2006. Calculation is based on census figures from 1998 stating a population of around 440,000 for Kurram agency.
[74] CAMP interview with Humayn Salim, Country Representative-Pakistan, RI, Kashmir, 22 February 2006.
[75] Casualty statistics sent to Landmine Monitor by Raza Shah Khan, Executive Director, SPADO, Peshawar, 27 March 2006. SPADO maintains a database on landmine and UXO casualties with information collected from newspapers, field personnel and NGOs working on mine-related issues.
[76] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, pp. 849-850.
[77] Email from Raza Shah Khan, SPADO, Peshawar, 10 May 2006.
[78] CAMP interviews with local community members in Bajaur agency, 26-28 February 2006.
[79] CAMP database of landmine casualties sent to Landmine Monitor by Naveed Ahmad Shinawari, CAMP, Peshawar, 13 May 2006.
[80] CAMP interview with Rashid Nazir, Correspondent, Khabrain (daily newspaper), Rawalakot, Kashmir, 23 February 2006.
[81] Ibid.
[82] Email from Ahmed Masoud, RI, 4 May 2006, and response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire, 25 February 2006.
[83] Casualty statistics sent to Landmine Monitor by Raza Shah Khan, SPADO, 27 March 2006.
[84] CAMP database of landmine casualties sent to Landmine Monitor by Naveed Ahmad Shinawari, CAMP, Peshawar, 13 May 2006.
[85] Landmine Monitor media analysis, 1 January 2006-14 May 2006.
[86] Email from Ahmed Masoud, RI, 4 May 2006.
[87] Email from Raza Shah Khan, SPADO, Peshawar, 10 May 2006.
[88] “5000 tribesmen hit by landmines,” Pakistan Press International (PPI), 3 May 2005; see also Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1090.
[89] Email from Humayn Salim, RI, Hajira, 13 May 2006.
[90] Email from Ahmed Masoud, RI, Peshawar, 1 May 2006, and response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire, 25 February 2006; RI, “A Resume of Mine Action in Pakistan, September 2005,” sent to Landmine Monitor by Philip Garvin, RI, 4 September 2005.
[91] Email from Ahmed Masoud, RI, Peshawar, 1 May 2006.
[92] CAMP interview with Humayn Salim, RI, Hajira, 23 February 2006.
[93] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Dr. Amir Khan, Acting Medical Superintendent and Agency Surgeon, Agency Headquarter Hospital, Bajaur agency, 22 March 2006.
[94] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinawari, CAMP, Peshawar, 13 May 2006.
[95] CAMP interviews with journalists, human rights activists, and mine action NGOs in Azad Kashmir, 21-23 February 2006.
[96] Email from Naveed Ahmad Shinawari, CAMP, Peshawar, 13 May 2006.
[97] “WHO establishing temporary health units,” IRIN (Islamabad), 16 March 2006, www.irinnews.org, accessed 16 March 2006.
[98] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1090.
[99] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 2 November 2005.
[100] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1091.
[101] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Antero Kinnunen, Head of Physical Rehabilitation Program, ICRC, Islamabad, 10 May 2006.
[102] Ibid.
[103] See Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 1091.
[104] CCW Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 2 November 2005.
[105] CAMP interview with Bakht Sarwar, Director, PIPOS, Peshawar, 26 February 2006; email from Bakht Sarwar, 10 May 2006; Handicap International, www.handicap-international.org.uk. Average exchange rate for 2005: US$1 = PKR (Rs.) 59.73501, used throughout this report. Landmine Monitor estimate based on www.oanda.com.
[106] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Tahira Ali, Manager, Orthopedic Workshop, Hayat Shaheed Hospital, Peshawar, 20 February 2006.
[107] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Muhammad Rehman, Warden in Charge, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, 20 February 2006.
[108] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Abdul Khaliq, Orthopedic Surgeon, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, 22 February 2006.
[109] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Sibghat Ur Rehman, Honorary Director, RCPD, Peshawar, 9 February 2006. For more details, see Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 851.
[110] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Ahmed Masoud, RI, Peshawar, 28 February 2006.
[111] Email from Humayn Salim, RI, Hajira, 13 May 2006.
[112] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Ms. Nageena, Head of Program, Sarhad Society for Rehabilitation of Disabled, Peshawar, 22 February 2006.
[113] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Habib Ur Rehman, Managing Director, Habib Medical Complex, Peshawar, 20 February 2006.
[114] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Murad Ali, Executive Director, HDPG, Peshawar, 21 February 2006.
[115] Response to Landmine Monitor VA questionnaire by Dr. Sadrak Jalal, Coordinator, Christian Hospital Rehabilitation Center, Quetta, 26 February 2006.
[116] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Antero Kinnunen, Head of Physical Rehabilitation Program, ICRC, Islamabad, 10 May 2006.
[117] Response to Landmine Monitor VA Questionnaire by Mohammad Ilyas Choudry, President, Disabled Rehabilitation and Independence Program, Islamabad, 14 February 2006.
[118] Letter from Aftab Ahmad, Deputy Director, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, Islamabad, letter No. 3-54/05-NR, 3 March 2006.
[119] Disabled Peoples’ International, “Another step towards CBR: Transport employment scheme for disabled launched,” 22 March 2006, v1.dpi.org, accessed 14 May 2006.
[120] See Landmine Monitor 2005, p. 852.
[121] Government Policy and National Plan towards Persons with Disability, www.apcdproject.org, accessed 14 May 2006.
[122] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Pakistan,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[123] “National Consultation on National Plan of Action (NPA) to Implement National Policy for Persons with Disabilities,” www.worldbank.org.pk.
[124] See Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 853.
[125] US Department of State, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2005: Pakistan,” Washington DC, 8 March 2006.
[126] “WHO establishing temporary health units,” IRIN (Islamabad), 16 March 2006, www.irinnews.org, accessed 16 March 2006.
[127] Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability, “Disaster Recovery and Disability Workshop,” 10-17 December 2005, www.apcdproject.org, accessed 14 May 2006.
[128] Statistical Data on Disability Profile, www.apcdproject.org.
[129] Government Policy and National Plan towards Persons with Disability, www.apcdproject.org.