Press release Azm-e-Istehkam must not compromise rights  Lahore, 8 July 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is concerned by the possible repercussions of the recently announced Azm-e-Istehkam operation through which the federal government proposes to deal with rising militancy in the country. While there is no question that the state must deal

Press release HRCP deplores misogynist social media videos Islamabad, 29 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) takes strong exception to a series of videos being circulated on social media platforms in which right-wing clerics have urged parents to pull their daughters out of school on the grounds that schooling is associated

Press release HRCP’s national roundtable calls for repeal of Punjab Defamation Act amid fears of national firewall and greater censorship Islamabad, 28 June 2024. At a national roundtable held earlier today by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), journalists, digital rights experts and civil society members drew the state’s attention to receding civic

Press release Parliament must jointly resolve to eliminate radicalization and mob violence Lahore, 22 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls urgently on the federal government to take strict action following the recent mob lynching of a 40-year-old man in Swat, after he was accused of having desecrated pages of the

Press release Democratic and fundamental rights sidelined in Punjab during 2023 HRCP releases annual report Lahore, 14 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) annual report on the state of human rights in 2023 details how civic rights in Punjab continued to be sidelined throughout the year with alarming escalation. The absence

Press release Law-and-order crisis and other violations in Sindh pervasive during 2023 HRCP releases annual report Karachi, 13 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) annual report on the state of human rights in 2023 details the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Sindh, particularly the marked increase in street crime—about 11 percent in Karachi—and

Press release HRCP launches model national policy framework for sanitation workers Hyderabad, 12 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for urgent policy measures to protect sanitation workers’ rights to a fair wage; better occupational safety and health; collective bargaining; and freedom from discrimination based on work or descent. In

Press release Mass discontent and loss of life critical in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during 2023 HRCP releases annual report Peshawar, 11 June 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) annual report on the state of human rights in 2023 details the turbulent developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, starting with the premature dissolution of the provincial assembly.

Press release HRCP builds case for a constitutional amendment to strengthen local governments Islamabad, 30 May 2024. HRCP held a consultation in collaboration with Dehleez on the need for constitutional protection for local government by presenting its policy paper, proposing a constitutional amendment of Article 140A. Legislators, policymakers and civil society members debated the paper

Press release Punjab defamation bill throttles free expression  Lahore, 20 May 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over the draft defamation bill tabled in the Punjab Assembly. The content and language of the bill is troubling on several counts. First, it proposes a parallel structure to adjudicate claims