The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has urged all political parties to prioritize the preparation of a human rights charter and strongly emphasized that the purpose of restricting communication channels and suspending social media is to target a specific political group.
After the release of the statement following the 75th General Council meeting, the HRCP demanded political parties to prepare a human rights charter, considering the challenges of a fragile democracy, pre-election shenanigans, and serious human rights issues.
The statement also pointed out that the apparent aim of restricting internet services is to target a specific political party and deprive it of the support of its followers, as well as limit access to information and peaceful assemblies during elections.
Additionally, the HRCP expressed concern over the allocation of 52,000 acres of land in Sindh to a company under the influence of the military, as well as the approval of several Senate agreements, raising troubling signs of unjust expansion and misuse of military authority.
The HRCP also highlighted the lack of national identity cards for approximately one crore women, making them unable to vote in the upcoming elections, and called for reserved seats for Khawaja Sirra’s political representatives.
Expressing disappointment in governmental actions, the HRCP also addressed the continuously overlooked issues faced by the smaller provinces and the absence of accountability for the perpetrators of killings in Turbat and Skardu, as well as the filing of rebellion cases against participants of rallies commemorating GM Syed’s anniversary, including women.
Furthermore, the recent revelation of 2.6 million children not attending school in Pakistan has highlighted an educational crisis that the state cannot afford to ignore, along with concerns about forced conversions of minority women and deteriorating security situations in rural areas of Sindh. The HRCP also condemned the continuous use of protective centers and private jails as a violation of human rights.