Multan, March 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has concluded a high-profile fact-finding mission to southern Punjab, comprising chairperson Hina Jilani, vice-chair Punjab Raja Ashraf, Council member Nazir Ahmed, and regional coordinator Faisal Tangwani.
The team has noted that women in the tribal areas of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur remain subject to harmful customary practices, with karo-kari and wani still entrenched in the fabric of their society – to the extent that even the Border Military Police does not provide the protection that victims are entitled to. Moreover, many women are denied the right to citizenship documents by male members of their families and, as a result, have no political voice.
Of particular concern is the situation of religious minorities in the province: the blasphemy laws are commonly used to intimidate Hindu and Christian families for purposes of land grabbing. Forced conversions remain common: in one case brought to the team’s attention, a landlord forcibly married the daughter of a Hindu tenant.
HRCP is alarmed to learn that the district vigilance committees that were set up to monitor and report the use of bonded labour remain non-functional. The restoration of the peshgi system by the Punjab government, amending the Punjab Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992, is deplorable and must be rolled back immediately. It is also of grave concern that, according to the bonded labourers HRCP spoke to, they receive a daily wage of PKR 800 while the minimum wage is PKR 1,300. Additionally, in the power loom industry, workers allege that they are compelled to work 16-hour days and have no recourse to social security or compensation in case of accidental death or injury.
A serious allegation made by residents of Cholistan is that their applications for allotment of the land they have been settled on for centuries remain pending, with reports that the military have taken over large areas of this land. In addition, the severe scarcity of water and lack of schools for residents needs to be addressed.
The team has also noted that lady health workers have continued to struggle without adequate security during their work, often putting their lives at risk in the line of duty and with negligible benefits to compensate them.
HRCP is also greatly concerned to find that cultivable land in Multan is being allocated to defence housing associations, with reports of local residents being harassed if they refuse to sell. HRCP urges the Punjab government to take serious note of human rights violations in southern Punjab and take concrete and transparent steps to improve the situation.
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