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Nepal
Political imprisonment in Nepal showed little sign of change over the last year. Although two members of parliament, Ratna P.Kharel and K.P. Bhandari, both AI adoptees, were released early in 1974. By the end of 1974, AI had details of 206 political prisoners, detained in 26 prisons in Nepal. Al groups working on behalf of 25 adoption and 72 investigation cases took part in a major campaign for a general amnesty, to coincide with the coronation of King Birendra on 24 February 1975.
In a letter of 24 October 1974 to the King launching the campaign, Secretary General Martin Ennals suggested that such an amnesty could include all political prisoners held under the Raj-Kaj Act and the Security Act-insofar as they had not been charged-political prisoners now ill, and persons arrested since 1960-63 in connection with anti-state activities. Although the King announced at the time of his coronation that a commission would be set up to recommend appropriate constitutional reforms, and that 401 criminal prisoners would be released in an amnesty, no political prisoners were included.
On his way to Al's South Asia Regional Conference, Mr Ennals called on the Home Minister, Hom Bahadur Shrestha, on 17 March 1975. The Home Minister stated that there were presently between 140 and 147 prisoners held in Nepal for political reasons and promised that he would check the list of 206 prisoners AI presented. At the time of writing this report, no communication has been received from the Minister. Martin Ennals stressed that some political prisoners, such as the Al-adopted Supreme Court lawyer Ram Raja Prasad Singh, have been held longer than the maximum of three years detention without trial provided for under the Security Act. The Minister did not deny this and announced that "special courts” were being set up to deal with "special cases".
On 30 September 1974, the Executive Director of the AI Nepalese Section, Professor Shesh Kanta Aryal, was arrested in connection with the establishment of a now-defunct social welfare organization, set up under the auspices of the Nepali Congress leader, B.P. Koirala. Mr Ennals sent a telegram expressing his concern about the arrest.
On 17 December 1974, ex-Foreign Minister and United Nations representative Rishikesh Shaha, who is also the Chairman of AI's Nepalese Section, was briefly arrested and held for investigation. Both members were released after a short time. However, among the political prisoners now detained in Nepal are six members of the Nepalese Section.
Pakistan
Political tension.increased in Pakistan as a result of continued demands for a greater autonomy in Baluchistan and the North West Frontier Province. Armed rebellion occurred on a wider scale and on 8 February 1975, the Provincial Home Minister was killed in a bomb explosion at Peshawar University. This incident was followed by the arrests under the Defence of Pakistan Rules of at least 400 mem- bers of the opposition National Awami Party (NAP), including its leader, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, and members of the National Assembly and Senate. The NAP was immediately banned and many students were arrested, nearly all of whom have now been released.
According to the NAP, 7,000 prisoners were detained in the summer of 1974