HRCP – Newswire Pakistan

April 7, 2023April 8, 2023

Long-standing human rights concerns endure in Balochistan

Lahore, April 07, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) notes with considerable alarm that Balochistan faces mounting public frustration pertaining to enforced disappearances, economic exclusion, curbs on press freedom, misgovernance and allegations of political manipulation by the establishment. A fact-finding mission led by HRCP in October 2022 has observed a palpable sense of anger among ordinary citizens, many of whom went so far as to refer to Balochistan as a ‘colony’ of the state during meetings with the organisation. The mission comprised senior journalist and HRCP treasurer Husain Naqi, vice-chair HRCP Balochistan Habib Tahir, staff members Maheen Pracha, Fareed Shahwani and Ghani Parwaz, and journalist Akbar Notezai. The team spoke to a wide range of civil society members, including human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and members of the fisherfolk community, as well as political leaders and members of the administration in Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, and Quetta.

The mission is concerned at the state’s widespread use of enforced disappearances to muzzle dissent, a grievance echoed in numerous conversations. This discontent has been compounded by the extensive presence of paramilitary check-posts, which citizens say has cultivated a climate of fear, particularly in Makran. Additionally, in the midst of a serious economic downturn, the resource-rich province continues to be deprived of its fair share of revenues from large development projects. The mission also observed that the absence of a healthy legal trading ecosystem between Balochistan and neighbouring countries has exacerbated poverty levels in the province.

Among other recommendations, the mission calls for an immediate halt to unwarranted interference in Balochistan’s political affairs by the establishment, accountability for perpetrators of enforced disappearances and legislation by the Balochistan Assembly to protect the security and independence of the province’s media professionals. The mission strongly feels that the Haq Do Tehreek’s long-standing demands for basic amenities must be met, while any ongoing or planned projects under CPEC should not impinge on the Gwadar fisher folk community’s source of livelihood. The mission also believes that the legitimate grievances of the Pashtun population, particularly those around unequal representation in the provincial legislature, must be given a fair hearing by all political stakeholders.

Given the devastating impact of the floods in parts of Balochistan, the mission has also underscored the need for a consistent and empowered local government able to develop early warning systems, evacuation plans and community sanctuaries with stockpiles of emergency supplies in conjunction with the PDMA.

For more information, contact:
Chairperson,
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Aiwan-i-Jamhoor, 107-Tipu Block,
New Garden Town, Lahore-54600
Tel: +92-42-35864994
Fax: +92-42-35883582
Email: hrcp@hrcp-web.org
Website: www.hrcp-web.org

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

Freedom of expression, other rights constricted in 2021

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):In its flagship annual report, State of Human Rights in 2021, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious reservations concerning freedom of expression in 2021. In at least nine cases, journalists were intimidated or silenced altogether, whether in the form of assault, enforced disappearance, murder or overt censorship. Additionally, the previous government will be remembered for attempting to impose the draconian Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance on the press. With this fundamental right in peril, all other rights too were increasingly constricted.

The state’s attempts to expand the scope of restrictions on freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution have emboldened non-state actors to impose their whims – often violently on those who do not agree with them. The savage murders of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot by a lynch mob on allegations of blasphemy, and of human rights defender Nazim Jokhio allegedly by PPP lawmakers, are both cases in point.

The report observes that the near-absence of political consensus-building was reflected in the number of presidential ordinances issued by the previous federal government – a record 32 issued in 2021. As of end-December 2021, the long-awaited bill aimed at criminalising enforced disappearance as a separate, autonomous offence, had still not been passed. The highest number of enforced disappearances reported to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances in 2021 was in Balochistan, at 1,108.

Escalating religiosity remained cause for grave concern, given the implications for women and religious minorities. This was evident from the Council of Islamic Ideology’s objections to the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill 2020 and Prohibition of Forced Conversions Bill 2021. Yet, with 5,279 rapes and 478 honour killings registered in the country and the macabre murder of Noor Mukaddam in Islamabad, women’s rights activists rightly spoke of a ‘femicide emergency’ in Pakistan in 2021.

With the pool of jobless people swelling as companies downsized in 2021, the plight of workers and peasants deteriorated significantly, especially with a mere PKR 2,000 increase in the minimum wage in Punjab and the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the Sindh government’s move to increase the wage to PKR 25,000. While the previous government claimed that the Single National Curriculum would reduce educational disparities, it drew strong criticism from education experts and human rights defenders for its lack of inclusivity and poor pedagogy.

Both the National Commission for Human Rights and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) were made functional and new chairpersons appointed, although regrettably, the NCSW appointment was marred by political controversy. There was a marked fall in the number of death sentences awarded, from at least 177 persons in 2020 to 125 in 2021. No executions were reported to have been carried out, while in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court commuted the sentences of three mentally disabled prisoners on death row.

The incumbent government must not make the mistake of taking human rights issues lightly during its tenure. It must commit to protecting freedom of expression and the rights of all vulnerable and excluded groups. At the same time, it must not make the mistake of acquiescing to far-right groups such as the TLP, which had no qualms about resorting to violence to further its ends in 2021, or of ignoring citizens’ voices – whether of people in Gwadar demanding a stake in the region’s economic development, or of tribespeople in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa calling for the state to uphold law and order in the face of increasing militancy.

For over 30 years, HRCP has been the only organisation to have consistently documented the country’s human rights situation, providing a unique barometer of human rights and democracy. We earnestly hope that, this time, the state will pay heed.

April 20, 2022April 21, 2022

Winning entries of HRCP’s photo-essay competition selected

Lahore, April 20, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is delighted to announce that the following participants have been selected as the winner and runners-up for HRCP’s photo-essay competition on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly:

Winner: Mr Sibth Ul Hassan Turi for his entry on land dispossession in Rawalpindi’s villages

First runner-up: Ms Muskan Firdous for her entry on the Mehnatkash Aurat Rally in 2022

Second runner-up: Mr Aun Jafri for his entry on Aurat March Lahore in 2021 and 2022

Honourable mention: Mr Rana Sajid Hussain for his entry on solidarity rallies with Palestine, Kashmir and Ukraine.

HRCP instituted this competition in 2021 to create greater awareness of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, as enshrined in Article 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The winning entries were selected by an independent panel of artists, photographers and human rights defenders. These entries will be displayed in an online exhibition on HRCP’s website as well as at a public in-person exhibition (to be announced after Eid).

April 16, 2022April 18, 2022

HRCP slams security forces for treatment of drivers in Chagai

Lahore, April 16, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is alarmed to learn that a driver was killed allegedly by security forces in Chagai near the Pakistan-Afghan border while attempting to speed away in his vehicle when told to stop. Extrajudicial killings are unacceptable regardless of the circumstances and the perpetrators must be identified and held accountable.

Additionally, scores of drivers transporting goods across the border were reportedly deprived of their vehicles by security forces and left to fend for themselves in the desert. Many of them have still not been accounted for. The incident reflects a coldblooded disdain for basic humanity and the right to life.

In a province that has been sorely neglected for decades, the callousness displayed by security forces towards residents continues unchecked. We strongly urge the provincial government to investigate this incident and ensure it does not recur.

April 14, 2022April 15, 2022

Sindh government must pursue Jokhio case

Lahore, April 14, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expresses grave concern over the decision to exclude two sitting PPP lawmakers from the list of accused in the murder of Nazim Jokhio on grounds of lack of evidence. HRCP observes that this development follows closely on the heels of the pressure and isolation that Shireen Jokhio has cited as her reasons for ‘forgiving’ those accused of brutally torturing and murdering her husband last November. This seems an unlikely coincidence.

HRCP believes that Ms Jokhio’s decision was certainly not voluntary and should not be considered legally acceptable. In the present political situation, this should be a test case for the Sindh government to show that it will put human rights and justice before short-term political interests. HRCP, which has been monitoring the Jokhio case closely, considers Nazim Jokhio a human rights defender (HRD) and insists that there should be no impunity for harm to any HRD in any circumstances.

April 12, 2022April 13, 2022

Celebrating I. A. Rehman

Lahore, April 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) remembers I. A. Rehman, the organisation’s former honorary spokesperson and secretary-general, on the occasion of his first death anniversary. Under Mr Rehman’s steady leadership, which lasted over 25 years, HRCP grew into an internationally credible human rights organisation and maintained its independence and non-partisanship. In this time, Mr Rehman mentored scores of young human rights defenders across the country, all of whom recall his warmth, perspicacity and unshakeable integrity.

Throughout his life, Mr Rehman championed a wide range of human rights causes. A veteran journalist, he wrote with exceptional clarity to advocate an end to enforced disappearances and the death penalty, while defending constitutionalism, freedom of expression and the rights of religious minorities. He was an integral part of the women’s movement and labour rights movement, while his particular affection and concern for Balochistan kept his finger on the pulse of the province for years.

Mr Rehman’s activism transcended geographical boundaries and he infused a quiet energy into efforts advocating peace and pluralism in South Asia. Indeed, his vast knowledge was such that Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, at a reference last year, said he wished he had had the chance to spend more time in conversation with Mr Rehman. Equally at home among political leaders, students, peasants and trade unionists, Mr Rehman remained a moral compass for so many. At HRCP, we celebrate his life even as we remain in his debt.