Pakistan is set for its second review by the UN Human Rights Committee on October 17-18 in Geneva, as Amnesty International raises alarms over ongoing rights abuses under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
“This review comes at a pivotal time, with human rights violations still rampant,” said Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia. Reports over the past month have included extrajudicial killings related to blasphemy accusations, suppression of protests, the enactment of the restrictive Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, arbitrary detentions, the mass arrest of opposition leaders, a ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), and the targeting of human rights defenders like Mahrang Baloch.
Ban on PTM Sparks Controversy
The PTM, declared “unlawful” on October 6 under the Anti-Terrorism Act for allegedly threatening national security, saw its ban held in abeyance just days later, allowing it to proceed with a scheduled event.
Extrajudicial Killings and Blasphemy Cases
Amnesty has called for independent investigations into recent extrajudicial killings of blasphemy suspects in Sindh and Balochistan, where victims were either shot by police or violently attacked posthumously.
Harassment of Mahrang Baloch
Human rights activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch faced harassment after being blocked from traveling to New York, where she was to attend a Time magazine event. She was later charged under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly inciting unrest. However, the Sindh High Court has restrained police from arresting her, offering some respite amid increasing pressure on Baloch activists.
Amnesty International called on Pakistan to use the upcoming review to acknowledge and address these critical human rights issues.
