MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Pakistan, in particular the situation following the Peshawar school attack

13.1.2015 - (2015/2514(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Ignazio Corrao, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Laura Agea, Marco Valli, Dario Tamburrano, Amjad Bashir, Rolandas Paksas on behalf of the EFDD Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0050/2015

B8‑0057/2015

European Parliament resolution on Pakistan, in particular the situation following the Peshawars school attack

(2015/2514(RSP))

The European Parliament,

 

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Pakistan,

 

– having regard to statement of President of the European Parliament of 16 December 2014,

 

– having regard to the statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on the attack on a school in Peshawar, Pakistan,

 

– having regard to the Local EU Statement on the resumption of executions in Pakistan,

 

– having regard to the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,

 

– having regard to the statement by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar,

 

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

 

– having regard to the EU-Pakistan five-year engagement plan of March 2012

 

- having regard to the 2nd EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue of 25 March 2014,

 

– having regard to the EU guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief adopted on 24 June 2013,

 

– having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.  whereas on 16 December 2014, 9 members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in the Pakistani city of Peshawar; whereas the aggressors entered the school and opened fire on school staff and children, killing 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren, ranging between eight and eighteen years of age;

 

B.  whereas the city of Peshawar, which is surrounded on three sides by the 'Federally Administered Tribal Areas' (FATA), largely under the control of the Taliban and other militant groups has often been targeted by terrorist acts;

 

C.  whereas the FATA are among the poorest areas in Pakistan, and residents live on subsistence agriculture and mining, without access to healthcare, sanitation or even shelter; whereas today more than 900 000 refugees also live in camps in and around Peshawar;

 

D.  whereas this was the deadliest terrorist attack ever to occur in Pakistan, surpassing the 2007 Karachi bombing;

 

E.  whereas reports also revealed that pupils were forced to watch teachers, including principal Tahira Kazi, being burned alive;

 

F.  whereas the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as revenge for Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the Pakistani military's offensive in North Waziristan that started in summer 2014;

 

G.  whereas the attack is thought to be in retaliation for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Malala Yousafzai;

 

H.  whereas the Pakistani intelligence community investigated to determine the nationalities of terrorists, which FIA determined to be foreigners;

 

I.  whereas on 17 December 2014, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved paperwork to remove a moratorium on the death penalty in terror-related cases;

 

J.  whereas, according to the news sources in Pakistan, General Raheel asked for the handovers of TTP leadership and asked the Afghan government to act against hideouts of the Taliban terrorists in its territory;

 

K.  whereas on the night of December 18, the Pakistan Army's military units stalked the fleeing terrorists and immediately launched a simultaneous ground offense in the Khyber Agency and the Tirah Valley when the terrorists were on run in moving to Afghanistan;

 

L.  whereas the stability of Pakistan ,which has a population of more than 180 million, has a significant diaspora, a massive army and nuclear weapons is of a key importance to the World peace;

 

M.  whereas Pakistan has become the target of terrorist attacks since the country decided to support the fight against terrorism conducted by the United States after September 11; whereas suicide bombings against targets public, religious, related to the government and the defence have become routine and Pakistan has lost over 7,000 civils and military in this war;

 

N.  whereas the EU has its own stakes in Pakistan and a strategic dialogue, including the EU's High Representative, was launched in 2009; whereas in 2014 political talks on disarmament and non-proliferation were held among principal advisors, and talks on counter terrorism and defence were held among senior executives;

 

O.  whereas the EU supports Pakistan through an advantageous trade programme (the Generalised System of Preferences Plus), as well as substantial support: EUR 97.5 million in development cooperation and EUR 45 million in humanitarian aid in 2014; whereas another approximately EUR 550 million is foreseen in the Multi-annual Indicative Programme for Pakistan until 2020 for rural development, education, good governance, human rights and the rule of law;

 

1.  Expresses its sincere condolences to all victims and to their families and strongly condemns this attack against the school in Peshawar;

 

2.  Strongly condemns the continuing attacks, suicide bombings, kidnappings and other violent acts committed by the terrorist against civilian, government and military targets in Pakistan;

 

3.  Expresses its deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and supports the efforts of the Pakistan Government to stop the violence and bring those responsible to justice;

 

4.  Expresses its deep concern by the decision to approve a paperwork to remove a moratorium on the death penalty in terror-related cases; remind that the EU considers the death penalty a cruel and inhumane punishment and it calls on Pakistan to ensure for all its citizens full respect of human rights as guaranteed by international conventions to which it is party;

 

5.  Calls on the Pakistan Government and authorities to work together to provide adequate information and medical and psychological support to families of victims;

 

6.  Is extremely concerned about the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan active targeting of children as part of its bloody campaign and condemns the flagrant violation of fundamental rights;

 

7.  Urges the Government of Pakistan to take the necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of attacks and threats against educational institutions which undermine fundamental rights, in particular the women and girls’ right to education, and to ensure that perpetrators of violent acts of are promptly investigated, prosecuted and punished;

 

8.  Requested the Government to consider the establishment of a rapid response system, so that whenever there are attacks on educational and sanitary institutions they are promptly repaired or rebuilt, and educational materials replaced, so that children and students can be reintegrated into the school as soon as possible;

 

9.  Urges the Pakistan Government and its forces to exercise restraint in tackling violence and to ensure that any efforts to tackle such violence are carried out in accordance with the Pakistan Government’s obligations under international law;

 

10.  Considers the creation of 145 beds hospital in Peshawar as an important symbolic action in honour of the victims of the massacre;

 

11.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the European Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the UN, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Government and Parliament of Pakistan.