Category: General

Islamabad, June 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)’s annual report on the state of human rights in 2020 notes with concern that the government’s initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic was marred by a lack of transparency and enforcement: no strict lockdown was imposed when it should have been, hospitals were ill equipped to handle the influx of cases, and non-compliance with standard operating procedures in mosques was not addressed. The National Coordination Committee and National Command and Operation Centre set up to combat the crisis were also established without parliamentary or Cabinet approval. However, cash distributions under the federal government’s Ehsaas Programme were a welcome reprieve for those in need of a social safety net.

Presidential ordinances were repeatedly issued as the government continued to bypass the correct constitutional procedure of presenting a draft bill in Parliament and holding detailed discussions of the draft. That key human rights institutions such as the National Commission for Human Rights and the National Commission on the Status of Women remained dysfunctional throughout 2020 is a matter of grave concern. On a welcome note, the National Assembly passed significant human rights-related laws, such as the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act and the ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act. The Ministry of Human Rights also submitted several recommendations for prison reform in its report to the Prime Minister.

The right to freedom of expression and assembly remained under threat as spaces for dissent continued to shrink in 2020. This was evident in the government’s attempt to impose new curbs on the electronic, print and social media; the National Accountability Bureau’s widely criticised tactic of initiating cases against political opposition members while overlooking the ruling party’s excesses; and the presidential reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa who is known for his anti-establishment views.

Journalists and media professionals in particular found themselves under continued pressure as Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, owner of Pakistan’s largest media group, was put behind bars in a 35-year-old case initiated by the National Accountability Bureau, and senior journalist Matiullah Jan was abducted in broad daylight and released only 12 hours later after public outrage. The Aurat March collective also faced rigid opposition and harassment from various quarters, with Islamabad participants becoming a target of violence during their rally.

Worryingly, crimes against vulnerable groups such as children, women and religious minorities continued unabated. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances also came under fire in a scathing review from the International Commission of Jurists, which criticised the commission’s failure to hold perpetrators accountable.

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

Karachi, June 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)’s annual report on the state of human rights in 2020 shows that, by the end of last year, Sindh presented the highest number of Covid-19 infections and deaths in the country, with a death toll of 3,560. While the passage of the Sindh Covid-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance 2020 was a welcome development, providing some relief to workers, students and tenants, these measures were marred by weak implementation, with labour organisations complaining of widespread retrenchments, especially in the private sector.

Press freedom and working conditions in the media remained cause for alarm in 2020. Hundreds of media workers lost their jobs, were forced to resign, or faced salary cuts. In several cases, law enforcement or security agencies arbitrarily abducted or detained journalists or arrested them on charges of sedition – often preceded by allegations that the targeted journalists were critical of the state.

HRCP notes that, while the four-year term of local governments in Sindh expired on 30 August, the provincial government had not announced a new date for the next local elections as of end-2020. The report also indicates that 121 prisoners were awarded death sentences in the province in 2020. In a promising sign, no executions were, however, carried out.

Law enforcement remained unstable, with prolonged wrangling between the federal and provincial government over the appointment of a new police chief, creating uncertainty in the police department. The abduction of the Sindh inspector general of police in October by security agencies raised serious concerns over undue political pressure imposed on the police to arrest an opposition leader.

There was an alarming uptick in enforced disappearances in the province. According to one estimate, a total of 127 persons went missing in Sindh during 2020, of which 112 resurfaced while 15 were still missing at the end of the year. A prominent case was that of political activist Sarang Joyo, who was allegedly subjected to torture during his disappearance.

Children’s access to education remained poor, with Sindh education minister Saeed Ghani stating that around 3.5 million children in the province remained out of school. Honour killings continued unabated: HRCP recorded 197 honour crimes in 2020 for Sindh alone, involving 79 male and 136 female victims. At least six cases of forced conversion involving Hindu girls were also reported in the province.

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

Lahore, June 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)’s annual report on the state of human rights in 2020 underscores the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the shortcomings of the healthcare sector, both in terms of preparedness and access to facilities. This was especially dangerous in Punjab’s jails where overcrowding and substandard hygiene exacerbated an already fraught situation for vulnerable inmates.

Factory workers and daily-wage earners were among the hardest hit, with hundreds of thousands of lay-offs taking place during the lockdowns. Students were compelled to protest when online classes served to benefit only those living in areas with a stable digital infrastructure. However, actions to curtail such public assemblies were erratic, with political gatherings facing more restrictions than large religious congregations or protests by ordinary citizens.

The passage of the Punjab Textbook and Curriculum Amendment Bill and the Punjab Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam Bill 2020 led to public outrage as yet another move to tighten restrictions on freedoms of expression, thought and belief in the guise of protecting religion.

No inroads were made in tackling the backlog of court cases – 188,176 in the Lahore High Court by end-December 2020. HRCP also documented the imposition of the death penalty in 91 instances, involving 148 victims. In an encouraging development, no executions were, however, carried out.

Law enforcement in Punjab was marred by frequent internal transfers and infighting within the police force. Citizens complained that it was increasingly difficult to register first information reports, especially in cases where relatives had been killed in police ‘encounters’ or in custody, or in cases of illegal land acquisition by influential people. The National Accountability Bureau also came under fire for making allegedly politically motivated arrests.

Reports of cases of child abuse continued unabated, with Punjab accounting for over 57 percent of all reported cases. Religious minorities faced persistent marginalisation over the year, with accusations of blasphemy and forced conversions. Police data indicates that 487 blasphemy cases were registered in Punjab alone. On a positive note, the Punjab government took measures to prevent hate speech on social media, which helped ensure a peaceful Muharram – over 4,000 such websites were blocked and action taken against their operators for inciting sectarian violence.

The gang-rape of a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in September 2020 elicited outrage and wide public condemnation, especially after the capital city police officer came under fire for ill-advised comments implying that the woman was indirectly to blame. In an important development, however, women’s rights activists challenged the archaic and demeaning ‘two-finger test’ for virginity in the Lahore High Court, winning their case in November.

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