Policy

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.

In October 2016, Pakistan reiterated its view “that landmines continue to play a significant role in the defence needs of many States. Given our security demands and the need to guard our long borders that are not protected by any natural obstacle, the use of landmines forms an important part of our self-defence strategy. The objective of the total elimination of anti-personnel landmines can best be promoted, inter alia, by making available non-lethal military and cost-effective alternative technologies.”[1] In March 2016, a representative of Pakistan stated that it will not be joining the Mine Ban Treaty because of India, and that Pakistan had previously laid mines along its border with India and would do so again should it be necessary.[2]

In September 2017, Pakistan’s Parliamentary Committee on SAFRON (State and Frontier Regions) urged the government to establish a fund for the victims of landmines. The committee expressed discontentment that at least 50 people have died and hundreds of others have been injured in landmine incidents only in South Waziristan agency. It noted that according to a rough estimate, about ten thousand landmines are in the Mehsud inhabited area, which need to be removed before they claim further lives. [3]

Popular actions regarding mine pollution in the country have begun to occur with greater frequency. Communities in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), for example, have demanded the government clear their villages from landmines. A tribal jirga—a traditional assembly of tribal elders—was held on 14 September 2017, in which community leaders stated that if the landmines were not removed from their communities, they would protest against the government in front of the parliament. Additionally, the jirga asked the government to approve a compensation package for the victims of the landmines in South Waziristan agency.[4] A similar jirga occurred on 15 November 2016 in the Mehsud tribe, and also asked the government to take measures to address the issue of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in their area.[5]

Pakistan participated as an observer in the Ottawa Process and the Mine Ban Treaty negotiations, but it has rarely engaged in the treaty since 1997, and has never attended a Review Conference. Pakistan has participated as an observer in just four of the convention’s Meetings of States Parties. Its last attendance was in December 2013. Pakistan has participated in few of the treaty’s intersessional meetings held in Geneva.

On 5 December 2016, Pakistan abstained from voting on UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 71/34 calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty. It abstained on all previous annual UNGA resolutions in support of the treaty.

Pakistan is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II.

Use

The Landmine Monitor has received no reports of the Pakistan Army emplacing landmines in 2016 or 2017.

As of March 2017, Pakistan stated again that it has not laid mines since the Pakistan-India border mine-laying more than a decade ago.[6] That last confirmed large-scale use of antipersonnel mines by Pakistan took place between December 2001 and mid-2002, during the escalation of tensions with India.[7] Pakistan maintains permanent minefields along certain portions of the Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

In March 2017, Pakistan reconfirmed that antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been used throughout the country, and attributed the use to “terrorists.”[8] In April 2016, a representative of Pakistan told the Monitor that 14% of recovered IEDs used by militants in Pakistan were victim activated. Militant groups’ victim-activated IEDs use pressure and infra-red initiation, and some also have low metal content detonators. In some cases, antipersonnel mines are used as detonators for larger explosive devices, or one initiator sets off multiple explosive devices. Pakistani security forces have recovered 194 tons of explosives from militants, and 2,500 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in recent years[9]

In April 2016, a representative of Pakistan stated to the Monitor that the army has a policy not to use antipersonnel mines around its outposts in operations in FATA.[10] Previously, following an increase in Pakistan army operations in the country’s border areas with Afghanistan in 2012, there were reports in the domestic Pakistani media of new mine casualties in those areas. Media reports in 2012 and 2013 attributed the new casualties to use of mines by Pakistani forces for “security purposes” but it is unclear if the mines were laid recently or in the past.[11] Subsequently, no new reports occurred since 2013 that were attributable to use by Pakistani forces.

Non-state armed groups in Balochistan and FATA used antipersonnel landmines and other victim-activated explosive devices during the reporting period. Use was attributed to Tehrik Taliban Pakistan and Balochi insurgent groups.[12] As in previous years, many military personnel and some civilians were killed or injured in incidents of new use, mostly by unknown perpetrators. The Monitor has recorded numerous antipersonnel mine incidents in Balochistan, FATA, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, although in some cases the precise date of mine use cannot be ascertained, nor can the perpetrator be identified (see Casualties profile for more details). Non-state armed groups also use antivehicle mines. In April 2017, fourteen civilians were killed and nine injured when their vehicle hit an antivehicle mine, for which insurgents claimed responsibility.[13]

Production, transfer, and stockpiling

Pakistan is one of a small number of countries still producing antipersonnel mines.[14] Since 1997, Pakistan Ordnance Factories has produced detectable versions of hand-emplaced blast mines in order to be compliant with CCW Amended Protocol II.[15] In 2007, Pakistan reported that it “has also planned incorporation of self-destruct and self-deactivation mechanism in its future production” in order to meet Amended Protocol II requirements.[16] The protocol requires that all remotely-delivered mines have self-destruct and self-deactivation mechanisms. Pakistan reported in 2002 that it was developing a remotely-delivered antipersonnel mine system, but has provided no further details.[17] In 2007, Pakistan also stated that it had “met the deadlines to improve the specifications on detectability of mines” to be compliant with CCW Amended Protocol II.[18]

Pakistan’s Statutory Regulatory Order No. 123 (1) of 25 February 1999 makes the export of antipersonnel mines illegal.[19] The law penalizes the importation of mines, but no data is available regarding whether anyone has been arrested or charged under this law. Pakistan states that it has not exported mines “since early 1992.”[20] Recent Article 13 reports state simply that “no manufacturing or trade of landmines is allowed in the Private sectors.”[21] In the past, the country was a major exporter of mines. Pakistani-made mines have been found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sri Lanka.

There is no official information available on the size of Pakistan’s antipersonnel mine stockpile. In the past, the Monitor estimated that Pakistan stockpiles at least six million antipersonnel mines, the fifth largest stockpile in the world.[22] Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied this estimate.

As in previous years, seizures of mines are regularly reported in Pakistan. In February and July 2017 and November 2016, Pakistani officials seized landmines, among other weapons, in raids in Balochistan.[23] Arrests of persons for possession or use of landmines have been reported in the media. In January 2016, one person with 10 landmines in his house was arrested in Parachinar, Kurram agency.[24] In June 2016, 22 people were arrested in relation to the laying of an antivehicle mine in Khurram agency. The arrest applied collective punishment under the Frontier Crimes Regulation of 1901.[25] In July 2016, four persons were arrested for planting a landmine that injured a woman walking on a roadside in Kurram agency.[26] In August 2016, the Frontier Corps published pictures of antipersonnel landmines, among other weapons, seized in Barkhan on the border of Punjab and Balochistan provinces.[27] Regular discoveries of caches of explosives and bomb making materials are reported in the Pakistani press.[28]

Destruction

During 2016, Pakistan reported destroying 7,370 antipersonnel mines, mostly of Pakistani manufacture.[29] In April 2016, a representative of Pakistan told the Monitor that all mines reported destroyed in the Article 13 reports are expiring stocks of antipersonnel mines. He further stated that all mines seized during operations in Pakistan by the security forces are destroyed and that “thousands” had been destroyed during previous years.[30]

Previously, during 2015, Pakistan reported destroying 1,429 antipersonnel mines; during 2014, Pakistan reported destroying 2,944 antipersonnel mines of Pakistani origin; during 2013, it destroyed 8,184 antipersonnel mines of Pakistani origin; and in 2012, Pakistan destroyed 2,107 antipersonnel mines of United States, Pakistani, and unknown origin.[31] In 2011, it destroyed 153 antipersonnel mines and in 2010, Pakistan reported that a total of 43,248 antipersonnel mines were destroyed between 2000 and 2009.[32]

Pakistan reiterated that there is no problem of uncleared mines on its Eastern Border.[33] However, in July 2017, members of the Pakistan security forces were killed and injured in mine clearance operations near Lanḍī Kōtal in FATA.[34] Pakistani authorities had to halt repatriation of some communities after conflict due to the presence of landmines.[35] The Pakistan Red Crescent Society declares FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to be weapon-contaminated areas, as significant amounts of ERW remain in these areas, placing the local population at risk.[36]