Press release Elite capture has worsened political empowerment of marginalized groups Islamabad, 21 November 2024. A conference organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) has called for greater political empowerment and electoral participation for marginalized groups, including women, transgender persons, religious minorities

Press release HRCP general body calls for consensus on civilian autonomy, climate justice and land rights Karachi, 17 November 2024. On concluding its 38th annual general meeting, the general body of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) draws urgent attention to deteriorating human rights and weakening democracy. It strongly opposes the proposed amendment

Press release HRCP calls for urgent action on Kurram crisis Islamabad, 7 November 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls urgent attention to the situation in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where prolonged tribal and sectarian conflict have led to scores of casualties and left hundreds injured. The alarming frequency of clashes between

Press release ATA amendment gross violation of right to due process, fair trial Lahore, 3 November 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed concern over the recently introduced Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024, which will authorize the state to detain individuals for ‘inquiry’ for up to three months merely based on ‘credible

Press release No credible evidence to establish veracity of allegation of rape at Punjab College Lahore, 1 November 2024. A fact-finding mission conducted jointly by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and AGHS Legal Aid Cell has stated that in the absence of forensic evidence and credible testimonies, it is not possible to

Press release HRCP concerned about impact of 26th Amendment Lahore, 22 October 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed strong reservations over certain aspects of the Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Act 2024, which was passed into law on 21 October. Although the amendments are more tempered than those proposed in earlier drafts,

Press release Freedom of peaceful assembly being trampled Lahore, 14 October 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called on the Sindh government to immediately investigate the violent treatment meted out to civil society activists who took part in yesterday’s Sindh Rawadari March in Karachi. Scores of protestors were arrested—including HRCP Sindh

Press release Proposed constitutional amendments must not infringe on fundamental rights Islamabad, 10 October 2024. Given the controversy surrounding the proposed constitutional amendments package, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) felt it necessary to organize a national consultation to find a minimum common agenda among civil society, the legal community and political parties.

Press release Militancy and violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa must be stemmed Lahore, 28 September 2024. Observing that law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has continued to deteriorate, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called on the provincial government to take urgent measures to tackle militancy and protect people’s right to life and

Press release Security challenges, human rights abuse and political dysfunction rampant in Balochistan during 2023 Quetta, 30 August 2024. In its annual report, State of Human Rights in 2023, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called attention to growing unrest in Balochistan, compounded by deteriorating security, with a reported 110 militant attacks