South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of Human Rights Defenders, is issuing this statement to affirm its solidarity with the families of the victims of enforced disappearance protesting in different areas in the North and East of Sri Lanka. In particular, the network extends its support on the occasion of the

Lahore, May 19: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced serious alarm over arbitrary curbs on freedom of expression, a climate of intimidation and the authorities’ stated intent to act against any perceived slight to the armed forces through the social media. In a statement issued on Friday, the Commission said: “HRCP

Lahore, May 11, 2017: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has welcomed the removal of 47 individuals’ names from a list under 4th Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act in Gilgit-Baltistan, and called for a fair hearing for those remaining on the list. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Commission said: “HRCP welcomes

LAHORE: Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Asma Jahangir has taken exception to a ban on women from attending traditional “Qaqlasht Festival”. In a statement issued on Thursday, she says this is discrimination and would send a negative message to tourists as well. She states such a violation of women’s rights is against the

Press release Monday, April 17: Twelve former Presidents of the Supreme Court Bar Association have expressed their deep anguish and concern over the brutal lynching and murder of Mashal, a student of Abdul Wali Khan University (AKWU). The brutal manner in which students of Abdul Wali Khan University killed their own colleague and attacked

Press release Lahore, April 17: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) mourns the passing away of Mrs Qamar Zafar A. Chaudhry, a valuable member of the HRCP family. Mrs Chaudhry always took considerable interest in the activities of the Commission, in particular in matters related to the freedom of thought and the rights

Lahore, April 14: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave alarm over a student’s lynching by a mob at Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan on Thursday. It has urged effective steps to bring all those involved to justice and to tackle the panic and horror among citizens, especially students and

Lahore, April 02: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for the government and the judiciary to take more interest in protecting the citizens’ rights and ensure that the state distinguishes itself by promoting rights and does more to prevent violations. A statement issued at the conclusion of the HRCP Council and

Lahore, April 2: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) elected its new office-bearers for a three-year term (2017-2019) here on Sunday. Dr Mehdi Hasan was elected chairperson and Uzma Noorani co-chairperson. The provincial vice-chairpersons were: Habib Tahir (Balochistan), Kamran Arif (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salima Hashmi (Punjab) and Asad Iqbal Butt (Sindh). Naazish Ata-ullah was

Lahore, March 15: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has voiced grave concern over government representatives’ statements regarding trying a key political leader under the cyber crime law. The Commission also expressed serious alarm over some parliamentarians seeking to malign the country’s leading human rights defender for questioning how members of judiciary conduct