The state of human rights

Annual reports put out by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on the state of human rights hold a mirror to this state and society. The image they portray is pretty disturbing. The latest report says Pakistan has failed to protect its most vulnerable. At least 2,846 cases of child abuse were documented during the last year, although the number was likely higher. Women continued to bear the brunt of society's fixation with 'honour', with Punjab accounting for the highest proportion in 'honour' crimes. Despite the laws enacted to protect and promote women's rights in recent years, violence against women had escalated. This goes to show laws are important but equally important is to change social attitudes and the conditions that form them. There is little effort on that account. According to the report, women continued to face discrimination in employment, financial inclusion, political representation and access to connectivity and education.

Many other issues remain a cause of serious concern. Although this government had declared its intention to criminalize enforced disappearances action is still awaited. Meanwhile, cases of 'missing' persons have kept surfacing. The Constitution guarantees religious freedom, but in practice intolerance is pervasive. The report notes that religious minorities remained unable to enjoy freedom of religion or belief. For many communities, this meant desecration of their places of worship, forced conversion of young women and constant discrimination in access to employment. Sad as it is there is climate of impunity; the perpetrators are rarely held to account. The government gets into action only when an extremely outrageous incident is highlighted by the media. Prisoners in the country's overpopulated jails, a large number of them under trial or awaiting trial, live in appalling conditions. The rights organisation also pointed out that the last year will be remembered for systematic curbs on political dissent and chokehold on press freedom.

The one good outcome of the depressing report is a positive exchange between the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) and the HRCP. In a first-ever official response to the report, although the ministry complained about non-inclusion in it of "progress made during the past year", it acknowledged that the HRCP had raised several pertinent concerns. As expected, it also enumerated some measures the government had taken towards safeguarding the rights of vulnerable groups, such as the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act, 2020, introduced in 2019; the National Action Plan against Child Abuse, which is in the works; and a landmark report issued last year on prison reforms that led to the setting up by the Islamabad High Court of Implementation Commission on Prison Reforms that is being led by MoHR. Furthermore, it said following discussion with the stakeholders, legislation on protection of journalists and media professionals is now in the process of being finalized to be tabled in the National Assembly. The HRCP has welcomed that response, while maintaining that all positive steps taken by the government have been mentioned in its report. Hopefully, the MoHR will stay engaged in a constructive conversation with the rights group for defining a policy that is not only in line with universal rights standards but also sets in motion a process of changing mindsets. However, considering the fact that the state institutions have failed to do their duty toward vulnerable sections of society, and even used forces of regression for political purposes, creating a rights-based society is a hugely challenging task. Civil society needs to play a more vociferous role in changing things for the better.