At a Karachi Press Club seminar marking International Human Rights Day, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) urged the government to repeal the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, halt enforced disappearances and free political prisoners across the country. HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt accused the ruling elite of widespread human rights violations, saying a power structure shaped by capitalist interests has turned political authority into an organised system of exploitation that has stifled democracy.
Butt warned against repeating the errors that led to the 1971 national tragedy and outlined a series of demands: restoration of media independence, a statutory minimum wage of Rs 50,000, repeal of anti-worker laws, legal protection for trade unions, an end to corporate land grabs, reinstatement of student unions and equal access to education.
Veteran journalist and rights campaigner Sohail Sangi said enforced disappearances fell in 2025 compared with 2024, crediting persistent civil society pressure and what he described as a modest policy shift by the state. He cautioned, however, that authorities continue to use intimidation and fear to suppress dissent. Sangi traced the practice of disappearances back to the Ayub Khan era and said it escalated under General Pervez Musharraf.
Academic Dr Riaz Shaikh, referring to remarks he delivered at a UN human rights forum in Geneva, warned that global human rights violations have risen markedly over the last 25 years amid changing international politics. He argued that without economic independence, political and cultural freedoms are hollow, and pointed to deepening wealth inequality as a driver of increased exploitation.
Lawyer Shazia Nizamani highlighted alarming levels of domestic violence, saying 21,000 women and children reported abuse over the past six years with convictions remaining negligible. Rights activist Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan criticised Parliament for weakening the minorities commission, and Advocate Ayesha Dharijo drew attention to the disappearance of more than 15 Hindu girls in Sindh.
Speakers at the seminar stressed the need for systemic reforms to protect civil liberties, strengthen social and economic rights, and ensure accountability for abuses. The event brought together journalists, lawyers, academics and activists calling for urgent steps to reverse what they described as a deteriorating human rights situation in Pakistan.
