Charter of demands: International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances30 August 2024The 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

Press release Reframe human smuggling as issue of rights violations Islamabad, 28 August 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called urgent attention to the rights violations endured by irregular migrants in its recently released report, Perilous Passage: Human Smuggling in Pakistan, produced under the prestigious Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim Fellowship. The report

Press release State must provide relief to struggling millions Lahore, 22 August 2024. At a public meeting held today, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights (JAC) called on the government to take immediate action to provide relief to the millions of ordinary citizens grappling with the

Press release 'Cyber-security' at the cost of rights, livelihoods? Lahore, 20 August 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is deeply concerned by the impact of continued disruptions to internet connectivity and their impact not only on people’s right to information and freedom of expression, but also on the livelihoods of those who

Open letter: HRCP working group demands immediate measures to protect minorities 11 August 2024. The rights of minorities to practice, profess and propagate their religion are protected under Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of Pakistan as fundamental rights, as well as upheld by the Supreme Court through various judgements—notably the 2014 Supreme

Press releaseDecision to ban PTI unconstitutional, must be withdrawn immediatelyLahore, 15 July 2024. HRCP is shocked by the government’s decision to ban the PTI. Not only is this move in flagrant violation of party members’ right to association under Article 17 of the Constitution, but it is also an enormous blow to democratic norms, especially

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