Faisalabad [Pakistan], December 10 (ANI): Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) marked Human Rights Day on December 10 at Vision Hall, Faisalabad, aligning with the UN theme “Reaffirming the Values of Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials,” an official statement said. The program sought to reinforce fundamental human rights principles and reconnect people with how rights shape everyday life, often unnoticed, especially amid uncertainty and social instability.
The event drew civil society members, lawyers, political and religious leaders, women activists, youth, students, and professionals from across Pakistan attending both in person and virtually. Naveed Walter, HRFP president, warned that despite efforts to reaffirm rights, serious violations are increasingly ignored. He pointed to growing persecution of minorities — Christians, Hindus, Ahmadiyyas and others — and expressed alarm at the rise in false blasphemy accusations that destroy lives. Walter urged urgent attention to violence, imprisonment, attacks on minorities, and abductions of Christian and Hindu girls.
Walter said the UN theme “Our Everyday Essentials” demands renewed focus, action and solutions to protect victims and support affected families. He stressed collective efforts to address abuses based on religion, gender, race and ethnicity, saying progress is possible when stakeholders actively promote, protect and enforce human rights so everyone can live with dignity, respect and freedom.
HRFP welcomed the National Assembly’s passage of the National Minorities Commission Bill 2025, an initiative the organization has supported since a 2014 Supreme Court directive by Chief Justice Tassadaq Hussain Gillani. At the same time HRFP cautioned that such bodies must function independently and effectively; legislation without fair enforcement is inadequate. The group called on society to promote human rights, protect vulnerable communities and support educational reforms that foster peace and tolerance among young generations.
Speakers including Raja Thomas, Ejaz Ghouri, Shamshad Gill, James Lal, John Victor, Bushra Bibi, Sadaf Shadman, Shahida Parveen and Sohail Emmanuel highlighted persistent injustices and inequalities. They voiced sorrow over violations targeting women, children and minorities, weak implementation of the 5% minority job quota, youth neglect, and limited exchange and international opportunities for minority students. They also noted global challenges — poverty, climate change, conflict, gender inequality and systemic discrimination — that undermine human rights.
Victims shared personal accounts of discrimination and persecution over faith and beliefs, detailing physical violence, workplace false accusations, and murders tied to personal disputes. HRFP urged immediate action to end discrimination against domestic workers, unjust dismissals, fabricated theft charges, physical and sexual abuse, forced conversions and forced marriages of minority girls. The organization called for stopping hate speech, hate literature, misinformation and disinformation against minorities to reshape public attitudes.
HRFP Program Coordinator Shadman John and Field Coordinator Hamdosh Samuel distributed informational materials, including REAT Helpline brochures, to help marginalized groups seek support. The event ended with a peaceful protest where participants carried placards demanding human rights, equality and religious freedom, and calling for an end to abductions, forced conversions, forced marriages, workplace harassment, religious discrimination and misuse of blasphemy laws. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Our Everyday Essentials- Notice Now,” “Yes to Human Rights-No to Violations,” “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now,” and “Let’s Struggle to Ensure Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All.” (ANI)
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