Charter of demands: International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
30 August 2024
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls on the state to eliminate the heinous practice of enforced disappearances, acknowledging that it constitutes a crime against humanity under international law.
We demand the following of the federal government:
- Recover all victims of enforced disappearance promptly and safely and present them before courts of law. Those who stand accused of any crimes must be dealt with in accordance with the law and their right to due process and fair trial upheld.
- Legislate against enforced disappearances as a matter of priority, making the practice a criminal offence.
- Ratify and implement the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
- Hold accountable all individuals and institutions involved in perpetrating or facilitating enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and the custodial torture of forcibly disappeared persons.
- Appoint a new chairperson to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and restructure the commission such that it responds to the needs of victims’ families more effectively.
- Institute and enforce a transparent mechanism for victims and their families to claim and receive reparations for violations of their right to liberty and due process, including women who have lost their household’s primary earners to enforced disappearance.
- Extend an invitation to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to conduct an official visit to Pakistan and report its findings.
- Ensure that victims’ families are allowed to safely exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly unhindered.