Policy

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

In November 2015, Pakistan repeated the statement it had made in previous years that it “remains committed to pursue the objectives of a universal and non-discriminatory ban on anti-personnel mines in a manner which takes into account the legitimate defence requirements of States. 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-defence 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.”[1] In March 2016, a representative of Pakistan stated that Pakistan 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]

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. It has never attended a Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty and 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 2 December 2014, Pakistan abstained from voting on UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 70/55 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

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.[3] However, no new reports occurred in 2014, 2015, or early 2016 that were attributable to use by Pakistani forces. 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 the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).[4]

As of March 2016, Pakistan stated again that it has not laid mines since the Pakistan-India border mine-laying more than a decade ago.[5] 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, when Pakistan laid very large numbers of mines along their shared border.[6] Pakistan maintains permanent minefields along certain portions of the Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan states that antipersonnel mines, antivehicle mines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been used throughout the country, and attributes the use to “terrorists.”[7] 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, 2,500 antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in recent times.[8] Non-state armed groups in Baluchistan and FATA used antipersonnel landmines and other victim-activated explosive devices during the reporting period. Use was attributed to Tehrik Taliban Pakistan and Balochistan insurgent groups.[9] 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).

Production, transfer, and stockpiling

Pakistan is one of a small number of countries still producing antipersonnel mines.[10] Since 1997, Pakistan Ordnance Factories has produced detectable versions of hand-emplaced blast mines in order to be compliant with CCW Amended Protocol II.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14]

Pakistan’s Statutory Regulatory Order No. 123 (1) of 25 February 1999 makes the export of antipersonnel mines illegal.[15] 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.”[16] Recent Article 13 reports state simply that “no manufacturing or trade of landmines is allowed in the Private sectors.”[17] 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.[18] Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied this estimate.

Seizures of mines continue to be reported in Pakistan. In September 2015, in Balochistan Province, Frontier Corps officers raided a “factory” making IEDs, including landmines.[19] 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.[20] In January 2015, in Baluchistan a person was arrested in the Rakhni area of Bakhan District of Balochistan for involvement in laying landmines and other attacks on authorities.[21] 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.[22] In July 2016, four persons were arrested for planting a landmine that injured a woman walking on a roadside in Khurram Agency.[23] 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.[24] Regular discoveries of caches of explosives and bomb making materials are reported in the Pakistani press.[25]

Destruction

During 2015, Pakistan reported destroying 1,429 antipersonnel mines, all of Pakistani manufacture.[26] 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.[27]

Previously, during 2014, Pakistan reported destroying 2,944 antipersonnel mines of Pakistani origin, during 2013, Pakistan destroyed 8,184 antipersonnel mines of Pakistani origin, and in 2012, Pakistan destroyed 2,107 antipersonnel mines of United States, Pakistani, and unknown origin.[28] In 2011, it destroyed 153 antipersonnel mines; in 2010, Pakistan reported that a total of 43,248 antipersonnel mines were destroyed between 2000 and 2009.[29]

Pakistan has not indicated if these mines are expiring stocks or from seizures, or both. Pakistan reiterated that the mines emplaced “during escalation of 2001–2002 on Pakistan’s Eastern Border have been completely cleared/removed/destroyed.”[30]