Karachi [Pakistan], December 12 (ANI): The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has urged the government to withdraw the controversial 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, end “enforced disappearances,” and release all political prisoners nationwide, Dawn reported. Speaking at a seminar titled “Every Right is Essential” at the Karachi Press Club to mark International Human Rights Day, HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt blamed the country’s ruling elite for “widespread human rights violations.”
Butt said Pakistan’s power structure, driven by capitalist interests, has converted political authority into an organised system of exploitation that has paralysed democracy. He warned leaders against repeating the mistakes that led to the 1971 national tragedy and called for restoration of media independence, a minimum wage of Rs 50,000, abolition of anti-worker legislation, full protection of trade unions, an end to corporate land grabs, reinstatement of student unions, and equal access to education.
Veteran journalist and rights campaigner Sohail Sangi noted that cases of enforced disappearances had declined in 2025 compared with 2024, attributing the drop to civil society’s sustained resistance and a slight policy shift by the state. Nevertheless, he said authorities now rely on intimidation and fear to suppress protests. Sangi traced the practice of disappearances to the Ayub Khan era and said it intensified under General Pervez Musharraf.
Academic Dr Riaz Shaikh, referring to his address at a UN human rights meeting in Geneva, said global human rights violations have risen significantly over the past 25 years due to shifts in international politics. He warned that “without economic independence, political and cultural freedoms lose meaning,” and highlighted how massive wealth inequality has deepened exploitation.
Lawyer Shazia Nizamani revealed that 21,000 women and children suffered domestic violence in the last six years, noting a negligible conviction rate. Rights activist Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan criticised Parliament for weakening the minorities’ commission, while Advocate Ayesha Dharijo highlighted the disappearance of more than 15 Hindu girls in Sindh, Dawn reported. (ANI)
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