Press Release on Human Rights Day

20-12-2021

Emma Barnhoorn

Pakistan and Human Rights Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

The Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP)[1] observed the International Human Rights Day of 2021 together with Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), GHRTV, National Minorities Alliance Pakistan (NMAP)[2] and Peace and Development Foundation (PDF)[3], in collaboration with civil society and various stakeholders, on the UN theme of “EQUALITY - Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights” - equality meaning that all human beings are born free and are equal in dignity and rights (UDHR, 1948, Article 1). 

The event was organized in the Press Cub Faisalabad in Pakistan where persons came to raise the issues of minorities’ human rights violations. Civil society, religious, political workers and women were all represented at the event. Naveed Walter, President of the HRFP, raised his issue through international media and authorities that human rights violations have been growing faster than ever. Especially women, children, and minorities are vulnerable and are easy targets for these violations. There has been an alarming rate of increase in abductions, forced conversions, and forced marriages, particularly. A political worker named Tahira Anjum voiced their concern over women in educational institutions and at the workplace, in relation to the coercion and harassment they frequently face there. It was stressed that equal opportunities must be provided to all women, on the same level as to men. There was most commonly referred to the incident that happened at the beginning of December, when a Srilankan accused of blasphemy was brutally murdered and set afire - this incident has since then created a negative image for the country throughout the world.

HRFP will issue an annual report in January of 2022 which will concern the minorities’ atrocities during 2021 with a concrete research paper demonstrating the facts and figures. The following recommendations were stressed on Human Rights Day:

• Implementations on conversions, covenants and treaties being signed by Pakistan should be ensured and practices;
• Legislations on abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages and to stop such practices;
• Child marriages must be ended;
• Repel the blasphemy laws and the practices must be stopped;
• Freedom of media should be ensured;
• The sanitary workers should be provided the hygienic kits, protection measures and health services;
• The registered domestic workers should be provided social security cards;
• The political streaming of minorities should be ensured, and;
• Promote the minorities' role in the establishment and formation of Pakistan.

The panel unanimously decided that, should the demands not be fulfilled, the minorities will march to Islamabad on the 23rd of March in 2022 to demand their rights (HRFP, 2021).

Notes:

[1]: For more information on HRFP, please follow this link: http://www.hrfp.org/. 

[2]: For more information on NMAP, please follow this link to their facebook website:https://www.facebook.com/NationalMinoritiesAlliance/. 

[3] For more information on PDF, please follow this link: https://pdfpk.net/. 

Sources and further readings:

UN General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948, 217 A (III), available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/udhr/documents/udhr_translations/eng.pdf [accessed 20 December 2021].

Press release HRFP, 10 December 2021, shared by our correspondents.