Human Rights Campaign Proposal: Protect Parliament’s Authority
The Commission has voiced its alarm at the deteriorating economic condition in the country.
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is worried that growing political divisions in Pakistan are undermining the authority of parliament.
Following its semiannual Governing Council meeting, the commission voiced grave concern about the country’s deteriorating economic situation, reports of suicides blamed on poverty, and the prevalence of child labor and exploitation.
The HRCP reaffirmed the importance of swift land reforms in bringing down economic inequality.
It noted the “alarming” expansion of high-income housing societies and the attendant risk of increased food insecurity due to the resulting shortage of farmland.
Concerned about the possible effects on the delimitation of electoral districts, the HRCP has urged for action to address claims of undercounting in the ongoing census.
It went on to say that for the protection of people’s rights, all provinces’ local governments needed to be significantly strengthened.
The commission also called for increased judicial transparency and accountability.
Unpredictable precipitation and the escalating risk of flooding in Sindh and Balochistan were cited as reasons for concern.
The HRCP advocated for flood victims who had to relocate due to previous floods to be resettled in safe places.
The commission was particularly concerned by reports of an increase in militant activity in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan, as well as the deteriorating peace and order in northern Sindh and southern Punjab, where robberies and kidnappings have been on the rise.
It insisted that the government do more to safeguard the rights of marginalized communities, such as the Afghan refugees living in makeshift camps in Islamabad.
It also stressed the importance of satisfying the long-standing demand for compensation for those who were uprooted as a result of the 2010 Attabad disaster and the Kargil war.
It also urged the government to do everything in its power to free the Pakistani fishermen now being held in Indian prisons.
Concerned about the ongoing legal challenges to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018, the HRCP has issued a statement of concern.
The commission voiced its deepest worries about the persistent discrimination and violence against religious minorities.
Further, it was urged that the Sindh government swiftly pass a bill making forced conversions a crime.
The Act for the Sindh Students Union was also called for immediate adoption.
Human rights advocates, political dissidents, and journalists in G-B have been targeted by the government for using Schedule IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 against them.
The Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act of 2021 also mandated the implementation of a media staff safety committee.
Since those responsible for enforced disappearances have not been brought to justice, the HRCP has expressed its continued dissatisfaction with the Commission of Inquiry.
It demanded an accounting of funds that were intended for the newly combined tribal districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It also stressed the importance of making a coordinated effort to clear K-P of landmines.
