Welcoming the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, a leading international human rights watchdog has asked Pakistan government to hold him accountable for his "crimes" and imposition of "unlawful" measures including changes in constitution and dismissal of senior judges.
"Musharraf's brazen disrespect for human rights and the rule of law for nearly a decade has finally caught up with him," Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said.
"By undoing Musharraf's unlawful acts and holding him to account for his crimes, the Pakistani government will advance human rights and national security in the country," he said.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed hope that Musharraf's exit from office will speed up Pakistan's transition to a society respecting human rights and the rule of law.
"Pakistan's democratic government now needs to assume full responsibility for rolling back measures Musharraf unlawfully imposed," it said in a statement, while expressing concern over hundreds of individuals who, it said, "disappeared" under Musharraf's rule.