HRCP | Pakistan

In a statement issued on Sunday after its 39th annual general meeting, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the 27th Constitutional Amendment, noting that lifetime immunity for public 0ffice holders had “concentrated unchecked power in the hands of a few”. The contentious tweak was passed by Parliament on November 13 after days of heated debate, opposition protests, and last-minute revisions, and received the president’s assent the same day. The amendment made significant changes to the judicial system and the military’s chain of command, and granted sweeping immunities to government officials. Under the Amendment, lifetime immunity from arrest and all criminal and civil proceedings has been granted to the president and anyone holding the ranks of Field Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Air Force. Referring to the Amendment, the HRCP drew attention to “escalating threats to constitutional democracy, civic freedoms, and the safety of vulnerable communities across...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed concern and called for an inquiry into the alleged mistreatment of PTI founder Imran Khan’s sisters by police as the former were camped outside Adiala Jail. In a post on X today, HRCP expressed concerns over the reports of Imran’s sisters being “manhandled” and noted that the rights of prisoners’ families to meet their relatives and the right to peaceful assembly are protected under national and international human rights law. “Witness and media accounts indicate that family members and party representatives were engaged in a peaceful protest when police intervened, allegedly using physical force,” the statement read. “HRCP calls for a transparent inquiry and urges authorities to ensure the rights, safety and dignity of all involved are fully respected,” it added. The PTI had held a protest outside the jail on Tuesday, where Imran is currently incarcerated, but the jail administration did not allow party leaders and the PTI founder’s family to meet him. Subseq...

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari on Wednesday rejected the claims made by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) regarding the government “concealing information” about the Muridke operation carried out to disperse Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) march they claimed was in solidarity for Palestinians. The TLP began protests in Lahore on Oct 9, announcing a march to the US embassy in Islamabad to oppose the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of conflict in Gaza. The demonstrations quickly turned violent, with police using baton charges and tear gas against stone-pelting protesters. The following day, clashes in Lahore’s Shahdara area left at least 40 officers injured, while the TLP claimed over 10 workers were killed. As the group attempted to move towards Islamabad, Punjab Rangers and police from five districts were deployed to Muridke, where trenches were dug and an operation launched to disperse them. Regarding the Mudrike Operation and the violence that broke o...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a condemnation on Sunday after it was reported that an 11-member committee of elders had declared that all transgender persons would be expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district. “The HRCP strongly condemns the reported decision by community elders in Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form a committee aimed at expelling transgender persons from the district. Such actions are unconstitutional, discriminatory and amount to incitement to violence against an already marginalised community,” the HRCP said in a statement on X. It added that “no citizen can be deprived of the right to reside, work or earn a livelihood anywhere in Pakistan on the basis of gender identity”. The human rights body called on the provincial and district authorities to “immediately ensure the safety and dignity of transgender persons in Swabi and uphold their fundamental rights under the Constitution and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018”. The committee of elder...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday revealed that enforced disappearances and other issues were fuelling public alienation and political instability in Balochistan following a fact-finding mission to the province. According to the report, titled Balochistan’s Crisis of Trust, the HRCP undertook the mission from July 9-12 to respond to the “escalating concerns over the deteriorating state of fundamental rights and civic freedoms in the province”. The mission aimed to examine the state of fundamental freedoms in the province and the broader impact of conflict and militarisation on civilian life, the report said in its terms of reference. In a press release issued today, the HRCP said: “The mission’s findings reveal a disturbing pattern of continued enforced disappearances, shrinking civic space, erosion of provincial autonomy and unchecked impunity — conditions that continue to fuel public alienation and political instability.” The mission observed that the state’s framing of the issue “...

LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday raised alarm over political dysfunction and rising injustices in Punjab. The HRCP held a press conference to highlight the human rights situation in Punjab as recorded in its report, State of Human Rights in 2024, launched earlier. While voter registration and total votes cast was reportedly increased in the 2024 general elections, the turnout declined. Women’s representation in the assemblies more than doubled, but the Punjab Assembly remained plagued by disruptions, a tendency to ignore input from the opposition, and hurried legislation. Assembly proceedings in 2024 were dominated by chaos. Women MPAs staged a walkout over inappropriate gestures in the House and the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities faced legal setbacks. The Punjab Defamation Act 2024, hurriedly approved in June, was widely criticised by human rights networks for stifling free speech. The law was subsequently challenged in the Lahore High Court as unconstit...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday expressed concern over the recent court decision banning 27 YouTube channels as the government said the owners were expected to face criminal action. It emerged a day ago that an Islamabad court last month ordered YouTube to block 27 channels for disseminating “fake, misleading, and defamatory” content against the government and armed forces. Among the 27 sanctioned accounts — run by journalists, political commentators and social media in­­fluencers in Pakistan and overseas — are those of the PTI, Matiuallah Jan, Wajahat Khan, Ahmad Noorani and Asad Ali Toor, Imran Riaz, Orya Maqbool, Sabir Shakir, and Moeed Pirzada. In a statement on X, HRCP said that it was “greatly concerned” by the court’s directive. “The wholesale blocking of entire channels — rather than addressing specific instances of unlawful or hateful speech in accordance with due process — conflates dissent with criminal activity,” the statement said. “The constitutional right to freedom ...

HYDERABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for an immediate and independent judicial inquiry into events surrounding May 20 protest in Moro, Naushahro Feroze district. Given the incident occurred in the constituency of provincial home minister and political rivals had been named in FIRs as the police-protester confrontation had reportedly resulted in multiple injuries on both sides and fatalities among protesters, the commission questioned impartiality of the police-led investigation announced by Sindh IGP, said a press release issued by HRCP on Saturday. “We therefore urge the Sindh government to announce an independent judicial inquiry without delay to establish the facts, ensure accountability and uphold rights of all citizens involved,” it said. It said that an HRCP fact-finding mission had visited Moro to investigate the events that unfolded after the demonstrations erupted along National Highway against proposed construction of canals on Indus River and allocation of land for c...

LAHORE: A monthly income of over Rs75,000 is now required to support a family of six with basic necessities such as food, housing, utilities, healthcare and education, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). As the government prepares to announce the federal budget, the HRCP has urged that wages must reflect the principle that “full-time workers should be able to live with security, health and hope.” In its latest report titled ‘From Survival to Dignity: The Case for a Living Wage’, the HRCP argues for the implementation of a living wage rather than a minimum wage. It noted that millions of workers across the country earn far below the living wage threshold, which forces them to make impossible choices between feeding their families and paying for essentials like electricity and medicine. “The implementation of a living wage can be justified on many grou­n­­ds,” the report said. “From a human rights perspective, a living wage becomes a fundamental right to ensure that workers not only mee...

Human rights defenders Tahira Abdullah and Samina Omar were released following a short detention in Islamabad on Friday, a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) activist told Dawn.com. The HRCP earlier condemned the “arbitrary arrest of human rights defenders Tahira Abdullah and Samina Omar in Islamabad” in a post on X. According to the post, the pair was taken into custody outside the National Press Club ahead of a protest in solidarity with the people of Gaza. “Given that neither of them was part of any public gathering at the time, their actions in no way constitute a violation of Section 144 as the police have alleged,” the statement said. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. The statement said the commission was “concerned to learn that [the women] are allegedly not being given access to their legal counsel”. “Both Ms Abdullah and Ms Omar must be released ...

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Sunday strongly condemned the “murder of three individuals” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district in a “suspected honour-related attack” earlier this week. Last week, War Mamond Police Station House Officer Niaz Mohammad said that a suspect allegedly shot dead a 28-year-old married woman, and then killed a 33-year-old man. He added the suspect’s gunfire also hit a 70-year-old woman, who was pronounced dead at the District Headquarters Hospital, Khar, after suffering serious injuries. The police officer, who visited the site of the incident, said that the suspect fled after committing the crime, saying the 28-year-old was said to be the relative of the killer. However, he had said that efforts were underway to arrest the suspected killer after registering a case against him. According to a statement issued today by the HRCP, the organisation strongly condemned the murder of three individuals in the Bajaur district. “Such acts of violence are a gross violation...