ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The detention of independent Pakistani judges will seriously affect the credibility of this month's national elections, Human Rights Watch warned Friday.
The New York-based group said the judges' detention along with the recent arrest of lawyers on spurious grounds come as the country gets ready for elections set for Feb. 18. There have also been large-scale inductions of President Pervez Musharraf's appointees into the country's judiciary.
HRW said under Pakistani law, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of any election irregularities but the detention of independent judges would make that task difficult.
"Days before Pakistan goes to the polls, its lawful chief justice and his children remain under illegal house arrest, as do many lawyers who would likely challenge election-rigging in the courts," said Brad Adams, HRW's Asia director. "Musharraf's systematic destruction of legal institutions has seriously compromised the upcoming elections."
Adams said such government tactics make it clear Musharraf is determined to keep his fiercest critics locked up before the election. He said these detainees must be released immediately.
HRW criticized the United States and Britain for failing to press Musharraf to restore an independent judiciary since he is seen as a valuable ally in the war against terrorism.
