HRCP expresses reservations on formation of national minorities’ commission Lahore/Islamabad, 9 May. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has strong reservations concerning the formation of a national minorities’ commission through a Cabinet decision based on a summary moved by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. The proposed composition smacks of partisanship

HRCP welcomes government response, stands by its findings Islamabad/Lahore, 3 May. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) welcomes the official response of the Ministry of Human Rights to the publication of its annual report, State of Human Rights in 2019. The ministry’s statement recognises that HRCP has raised some pertinent issues. This augurs well for constructive engagement between

Weakest segments of society invisible, unheard HRCP issues State of Human Rights 2019 annual report Islamabad/Lahore, 30 April. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) notes that widespread social and economic marginalisation have left the weakest segments of society invisible and unheard. HRCP’s honorary spokesperson I. A. Rehman has termed Pakistan’s human rights record in 2019

Covid-19 response marred by indecision Islamabad, 23 April. With the number of Covid-19 cases rising steadily, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is alarmed at the way the federal government is handling this public health crisis. There is an absence of clarity in the federal government’s measures – a clarity without which it cannot hope to curb the pandemic and create

Safety of medical personnel must be priority Lahore, 20 April. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) urges the provincial government to heed the legitimate demands of the young doctors on strike in Punjab. The country’s need for medical personnel in the midst of a public health crisis does not override their right to

Government must put people before big business Lahore, 17 April. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) deplores the recent operation in which a low-income settlement in Islamabad was razed to the ground, leaving at least 75 poor families homeless. Such incidents reflect a cavalier approach to protecting the rights and welfare of vulnerable communities. It

HRCP concerned over delays in relief effort Lahore, 2 April. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) alerts the authorities to the growing frustration among vulnerable families over unnecessary delays in providing them with food rations and other necessities. HRCP believes that the lack of clarity at the level of the federal government –

Protect sanitation workers from Coronavirus Lahore, 26 March. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) urges the federal and provincial governments to ensure that sanitation workers – who are also on the frontlines of the battle against the Coronavirus – are provided protective personal equipment to function safely and effectively. No sanitation worker should

Joint statement: Protecting prison populations of Pakistan from COVID-19 Dated: 23 March 2020 We, the undersigned human rights organisations and human rights defenders, request rapid action to ensure that inmates and staff of Pakistani prisons are provided adequate protection as cases of Covid-19 continue to increase across the country. As noted in a recent

HRCP calls for immediate economic measures to protect the vulnerable Lahore, 22 March. The global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have a colossal impact on the health and livelihoods of ordinary Pakistanis. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) demands that the government take the following rights-based economic measures without delay. The government must invest in providing protective gear to medical staff dealing with