ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has released its annual report, State of Human Rights in 2022, which paints a bleak picture of the country’s political, economic, and social conditions.
The report was launched during a media briefing addressed by Chairperson of HRCP, Hina Jilani and others here at a local hotel on Wednesday.
The report highlights how the political and economic turmoil of the previous year has had a serious impact on the human rights situation in the country.
The report notes that both the current and previous governments have failed to respect the supremacy of Parliament. Tussles among the legislature, executive, and judiciary have undermined institutional credibility, and political victimization has continued throughout the year. Colonial-era sedition laws have been weaponised to stifle dissent, and dozens of journalists and opposition politicians have been arrested, with ensuing claims of custodial torture. The right to freedom of assembly has been violated and abused, as law enforcement personnel clashed with protesters in various parts of the country.
The year has also seen an alarming resurgence in terror attacks, with 533 lives lost—the highest in five years. Despite citizens’ warnings that such developments were imminent, the state has continued to fumble in addressing militancy. There has been an uptick in enforced disappearances, particularly in Balochistan, with 2,210 reported cases remaining unresolved.
The report also notes that climate change-induced floods ravaged much of the country, and relief and rehabilitation for over 33 million affected persons fell woefully short. This lackluster response has underscored the need for empowered, well-resourced local governments in every province and territory.
Escalating threats to freedom of religion or belief have remained a grave concern. The incidence of mob lynching appears to have risen, and the Ahmadiyya community has come under particular threat, with several places of worship and over 90 graves desecrated. Violence against women has continued unabated, with at least 4,226 instances of rape and gang-rape compounded by an abysmally low conviction rate for perpetrators. The scale of violence and discrimination against trans persons has also been compounded by the conservative backlash against the hard-won Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018.
In a year that has seen the country’s economic situation unravel, the report notes that the rights of workers and peasants have been sorely neglected. Although the minimum wage has been increased, the state has yet to acknowledge that this falls below the threshold of a living wage. Additionally, while around 1,200 bonded laborers were freed in Sindh, the district vigilance committees constituted in 2022 remained largely dysfunctional. The death toll in the country’s mines also remained very high, at 90 workers.
The HRCP demands immediate action by the state on these issues if it is to move towards a pro-people approach to politics, law, and governance. The report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic change to address the various challenges facing Pakistan.
During the media briefing, the HRCP officials highlighted the human rights violations in the country with special focus on forced conversion, missing persons, violation against women and transgender etc.
