Human rights mechanisms of Pakistan’s government faced harsh criticism for lack of performance

Human rights mechanisms of Pakistan’s government faced harsh criticism for lack of performance
Photo: Meeting. Wocintechchat/Unsplash 2019

12-01-2023

Charlotte Parker

Pakistan and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence 

The National Commission for the Rights of Child (NCRC) was subject to harsh criticism by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights. In a session held on the 12th of January, 2023, the Committee’s chairperson Dr. Bhutto and other members of the Senate expressed discontent with the NCRC stating its performance was zero, warning the NCRC to improve performance or risk a lack of funding and relief from the Committee. The Committee chairperson highlighted the failure of confirming the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, and not sending these rules to the Committee, despite the bill having been passed nearly three years prior and legislation establishing a maximum time frame of six months for a bill’s rules to be drafted.

The Committee was not alone in its discontent, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairperson, Ms. Agha, also took the opportunity to highlight additional criticisms for the NCRC. On the basis of a NCHR 2022 report, Ms. Agha reiterated the poor conditions of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. In this institution, prisoners were reportedly tortured, where numerous prisoners complained of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment suffered at the hands of jail authorities. Within Adiala Jail, 82 children were imprisoned, who were granted legal aid by NCHR and released on bail with the subsequent issue of finding adequate persons to take the children after. Another issue within the jail was the provision of drugs to prisoners. However, Ms. Agha reiterated these issues will continue given the high influence possessed by Adiala Jail officials, with the NCHR report only resulting in seven dismissals, four suspensions and thirty eight transfers of officers. The Pakistani government was ordered by the Islamabad High Court to assist the NCHR to prevent future abuses, thus requiring the involvement of its subsequent human rights bodies. The Human Rights Ministry continued incarcerating juvenile prisoners facing trial due to an alleged lack of funds to submit surety bonds. The Ministry had already faced criticism on this matter, as well as due to its inability to house these children despite the Child Protection Institute ran by the ministry which was intended to house vulnerable children and was never operational. 

These criticisms further highlight how human rights protection continues to fall short, as specialised committees and ministries ignore undoubted abuses and even when partial relief is granted, the cycle of abuse continues. 



Sources and further reading:

  1. Guramani, N. NA human rights committee upbraids national child rights panel over ‘zero’ performance. (2023, 12 January). Dawn.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023 from https://www.dawn.com/news/1731266/na-human-rights-committee-upbraids-national-child-rights-panel-over-zero-performance 
  2. Abbas, Z. No relief for Adiala jail juveniles despite IHC order. (2022, 30 October). Dawn.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023 from https://www.dawn.com/news/1717625/no-relief-for-adiala-jail-juveniles-despite-ihc-order