Pakistan's rights crisis deepens as HRCP slams state repression and elite exploitation

Karachi [Pakistan], December 12 (ANI): The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has urged the government to withdraw the controversial 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, end "enforced disappearances," and release all political prisoners across the country, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, speaking at a seminar titled "Every Right is Essential" held at the Karachi Press Club to mark International Human Rights Day, HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt held the country's ruling elite responsible for "widespread human rights violations."

Butt argued that Pakistan's power structure, driven by capitalist interests, has turned political authority into an organised system of exploitation that has paralysed democracy.

He also cautioned leaders against repeating the mistakes that led to the 1971 national tragedy, while calling for restoration of media independence, a minimum wage of Rs 50,000, abolition of anti-worker legislation, and full protection of trade unions. Other demands included stopping corporate land grabs, reinstating student unions, and ensuring equal access to education.

Veteran journalist and rights campaigner Sohail Sangi stated that cases of enforced disappearances had declined in 2025 compared with 2024, crediting civil society's sustained resistance and a slight policy shift by the state. However, he said the authorities now rely on intimidation and fear to suppress protests. Sangi traced the origins of disappearances to the Ayub Khan era and said the practice intensified under General Pervez Musharraf.

Academic Dr Riaz Shaikh, referencing his address at a UN human rights meeting in Geneva, stated that global human rights violations have increased significantly over the last 25 years due to shifts in international politics.

He stated that "without economic independence, political and cultural freedoms lose meaning," noting that massive wealth inequality has deepened exploitation, as highlighted by Dawn.

Lawyer Shazia Nizamani revealed that 21,000 women and children had suffered domestic violence in the last six years, stating the negligible conviction rate. Rights activist Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan criticised Parliament for weakening the minorities' commission. At the same time, Advocate Ayesha Dharijo highlighted the disappearance of more than 15 Hindu girls in Sindh, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)

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