Pakistan: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) raised worry in its landmark annual report State of Human Rights in 2022, which was released earlier this week, about last year’s political and economic turbulence, both of which had a major impact on the human rights situation.
Dozens of journalists and opposition politicians were imprisoned
Both the current and previous governments failed to respect Parliament’s primacy, while squabbles within the legislature, executive, and court weakened institutional confidence, according to the report. According to the report, political victimization persisted throughout the year, with colonial-era sedition laws being weaponized to crush dissent. Dozens of journalists and opposition politicians were imprisoned, prompting claims of abuse in custody–ironically, in the same year that the Parliament enacted a bill criminalizing the use of torture, according to HRCP’s report.
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Law enforcement officers clashed with demonstrators around the country
Following the successful vote of no-confidence in former Prime Minister Imran Khan, law enforcement officers clashed with demonstrators around the country, with the right to free assembly not only breached but also abused. The year saw an alarming upsurge in terror attacks, the most in five years, with 533 people killed, according to the HRCP report, which added that despite citizens’ warnings that such developments were likely, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the state continued to fumble in dealing with militancy.
Increase in enforced disappearances
According to the report, while climate change-induced floods devastated much of the country, relief and rehabilitation for over 33 million affected people fell terribly short. HRCP also noticed an increase in enforced disappearances, particularly in Balochistan, with 2,210 recorded cases remaining unresolved despite the National Assembly passing a bill criminalising the conduct. The Ahmadiyya community was particularly vulnerable, with several places of worship and over 90 graves desecrated, primarily in Punjab, according to the HRCP report, which also stated that violence against women continued unabated, with at least 4,226 cases of rape and gang rape, compounded by an appallingly low conviction rate for criminals.
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