ISLAMABAD - Speakers in a seminar on Thursday stressed that Pakistan is facing one of its worst challenges to protect the rights of its citizens and it is the primary obligation of the Government to provide protection to civilians especially against the inhuman access of militant groups. These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar on 'Derogation of Human Rights in Conflict Situation being organised as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence under the umbrella of Aurat Foundation, an Islamabad-based non-profit organisation. The event was organised on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day that is observed every year on 10th of December. The seminar was attended by Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asma Jahangir, Executive Director Aurat Foundation Islamabad Naeem Ahmed Mirza, Member Board of Governance Aurat Foundation and Ex Cabinet Secretary Dr. Masooma Hassan, and civil society Activist Tahira Abdullah. Participants at the occasion drew the attention of the Government to the people who are the silent sufferers of the society and, despite tall claims of the authorities concerned, are living in a deplorable condition. They said that a series of bomb attacks carried out by Islamist militants killing thousands of civilians as well as members of the security forces has been devastating. Children and women have been the most vulnerable to the access of militants, Schools have not been spared and women living in conflict zones are totally immobilised, they added. They called for the respect of human dignity during any armed operation carried out. While speaking at the occasion, Chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asma Jahangir stressed that the Government must ensure basic facilities for its people in order to overcome their problems. She discussed issues like food security, education, health and shelter, saying that it is obligatory for the concerned departments to initiate diverse projects for protecting basic rights of the people. She said that they condemned the NRO at the time it was promulgated and had raised the slogan of Deal Weel Nahin Chalay Gi. She said that the Human Right Commission of Pakistan is extremely perturbed at the huge suffering of people in Pakistan owing to the lethal brutality unleashed by Islamist militants as well as the destruction caused by internal conflicts in many parts of the country. Executive Director Aurat Foundation Islamabad Naeem Ahmed Mirza informed about the events that were being organised by the Aurat Foundation as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. While Member Board of Governance Aurat Foundation and Ex Cabinet Secretary Dr. Masooma Hassan said that the International Human Rights Day 2009 falls amidst the cruel realties being faced by Pakistanis. It was also disclosed at the occasion that the reports received by the HRCP revealed extremely inhuman methods of torture employed by the security forces establishment in Balochistan. People are blindfolded, hung upside down, burnt, given electric shocks, whipped, beaten with iron rods, kept under extreme glare of lights and their heads doused in water. Despite several reports issued by the press on accounts by the victims to courts and the media, and incidents reported by national and international human rights bodies, the Government has never responded to these allegations in any constructive or coherent manner.