Geneva — At a side event during the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, speakers raised sharp concerns about political repression, enforced disappearances and alleged breaches of international obligations in Pakistan, particularly in the context of its GSP+ trade privileges.
Former minister Zulfi Bukhari, aligned with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the party has faced a systematic crackdown since former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in 2023. Bukhari alleged that thousands of party activists have been detained, political freedoms curtailed and civilians subjected to military court proceedings. He also said Khan has been held in custody for more than two-and-a-half years, suffering deteriorating health and limited access to lawyers and family.
Despite his criticisms of the authorities, Bukhari argued Pakistan should keep its GSP+ trade status with the European Union because it supports economic stability and provides leverage for human rights accountability. He urged, however, stronger oversight to ensure Pakistan actually meets its treaty obligations.
Kasim Khan, one of Imran Khan’s sons, described his father’s detention as arbitrary, saying Khan has endured prolonged solitary confinement, restricted communication and inadequate medical treatment and family visits. Kasim framed these measures as part of a wider pattern of repression since 2022 and questioned the legitimacy of Pakistan’s 2024 elections, alleging they were engineered to marginalize PTI.
Offering a longer-term perspective, Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement, drew attention to chronic human rights violations in Balochistan. He cited enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture affecting thousands of activists and civilians over decades, and said these abuses point to systemic problems that cross successive governments.
Baloch urged the European Union to carry out a transparent review of Pakistan’s compliance with international treaties, naming the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture, and questioned whether human rights conditionality attached to GSP+ is being enforced.
The allegations were reported at the UNHRC side event by participants and drawn from a syndicated news feed reporting on the session.
