ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan ( HRCP ) expressed concerns over increasing political polarisation in the country, resulting in greater restrictions on civil and political rights, Pakistan- based Dawn reported. The HRCP stressed the importance of upholding political concepts and the rule of law while urging financial justice and the protection of civil rights.
The HRCP expressed concern in its annual report,” State of Human Rights 2023,” which was released on Wednesday. Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI), was arrested on May 9, 2023, in response to irreparable political divisions that sparked public arson and violence.
The document read,” What followed was blatant disregard for the Constitution as appointed makes sank their hold on the nation’s democratic institutions and political spaces,” according to Dawn.
According to the review, the state reacted to the May 9 protests by reinstatering military authorities to detain citizens, ordering mass prosecutions, and reportedly orchestrating the PTI’s alleged public dissolution.
The statement noted that the year saw a certain decline in the right to freedom of expression and assembly. The review found that the rule of law was weak, with a six-year higher in mortality related to terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations. The report noted that while city offense and the increase in crowd hangings were on the rise, extrajudicial murders continued.
According to the review, journalists, campaigners and social staff were subjected to enforced disappearances across the country, like what happened in past times, Dawn reported. The statement noted that young Baloch people marched for a long time between Turbat and Islamabad to rally alleged extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.
Spiritual minorities reported an increase in anxiety, especially after the attack in Jaranwala, where hundreds of churches and houses were torched and looted by mobs after a Christian man’s accusations of blasphemy were raised.
According to the report, Afghan nationals were detained during authorities searches and taken to detention facilities. Harris Khalique, HRCP secretary-general, stated at the start of the statement that the 2023 financial crisis had “pushed tens of millions of ordinary people to the brink of despair.”
Speaking on instances of enforced kidnappings, Harris Khalique condemned the function and effectiveness of the Commission of Inquiry of Enforced Disappearances and termed it’ terrible,’ Dawn reported.
HRCP chairman Asad Iqbal Butt called it essential for the position to realize people’s rights to training, livelihood and wellness. The lower level of business unionization also preoccupied him. Nasreen Azhar, the vice president of the HRC Islamabad, stated that faith is still being “warmed for democratic functions.”
