HRCP writes to Punjab CM, seeks attention to severe human rights violations in Pakistan

Highlighting the ongoing cases of violence against women, children and trans people, the HRCP in its letter recommended strengthening the Punjab province's Commission on the Status of Women.

Asad Iqbal Butt, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in a letter to the newly-elected Chief Minister of Punjab Province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, on Thursday, demanded immediate attention to the severe human rights violations in the province. Highlighting the ongoing cases of violence against women, children and trans people, the HRCP in its letter recommended strengthening the Punjab province's Commission on the Status of Women.

He further demanded more effective child protection mechanisms and legislation to raise the age for marriage to 18 years. However, the letter also urged the Punjab CM to address the threats to religious freedom.

Butt's letter also mentioned implementing the 2014 Supreme Court judgement in letter and spirit and taking steps to penalise false accusations of blasphemy. Furthermore, the letter demanded that existing labour laws and regulations related to inspections, safety protocols, and wages be implemented to protect vulnerable workers.

It emphasised that tactics to repress dissent, such as arbitrary raids and detentions and undeclared curbs on press freedom, must end. Moreover, women and other political prisoners must also be released immediately, and the state must legislate to restore student unions, the letter read.

Just like the Punjab Province, Pakistan's Balochistan has also been witnessing severe human rights violations. Previously, Mahrang Baloch, the representative of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, urged the United Nations and the international community to intervene in Balochistan and put an end to the grave human rights violations in the region.

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee is a campaign group that advocates for the rights and well-being of the Baloch people. During the 55th session of the UN's Human Rights Council, she urged the international community to investigate human rights abuses in Balochistan and hold the perpetrators accountable.

"Today at the 55th session of the UN's Human Rights Council, I urged the international community to take a stand for Balochistan. The human rights abuses in Balochistan need to be investigated, and the perpetrators need to be held accountable. A UN fact-finding mission can independently assess and understand the situation in Balochistan," Mahrang Baloch said in a post shared on X. Mahrang Baloch, at the UNHRC, highlighted that her father and brother were forcibly disappeared by Pakistani intelligence agencies.

"My father was forcibly disappeared by Pakistani intelligence agencies and extrajudicially killed in custody. My younger brother also became a victim of enforced disappearances and suffered torture for months. But today, I'm not here to represent my case, but to address you as a representative of the Baloch people who have endured unimaginable suffering so far for too long," she said. She further appealed to the international community to intervene in Balochistan.

"I'm here to plead with the international community to intervene in Balochistan and put an end to the grave human rights violations in Balochistan," she added. (ANI)

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