HRCP reports growing constraints from authorities

LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), one of the most prominent rights organisations in Pakistan, has reported an unprecedented campaign of harassment and interference by state institutions, hindering its ability to operate, reported Geo News.

In a statement released on July 2, HRCP said it had faced “a series of arbitrary, illegal and unjustified actions” over recent months. These include the sealing of its headquarters in Lahore, removal of electricity meters, freezing of bank accounts, and the detention of its chairperson.

HRCP Secretary General Harris Khalique said the pressure on the organisation over the last two-and-a-half years exceeds anything it has experienced since its founding in 1987. According to a piece published by Geo News, in October 2023, HRCP held a consultation in Islamabad where it criticised the government’s decision to expel Afghan refugees. The organisation stated the expulsion would negatively affect vulnerable groups including women, children, and the elderly. Following this, individuals claiming to be from security and interior ministry agencies visited HRCP’s office and requested a list of attendees and event recordings. HRCP declined to provide these details.

Since then, HRCP has been blocked from holding events in multiple cities. Planned consultations in Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad were cancelled after hotels demanded no-objection certificates (NOCs) from local authorities, in a first in the organisation’s 38-year history, said HRCP Director Farah Zia.

HRCP decries use of ATA against political activists in Gilgit-Baltistan

Other actions have further disrupted HRCP’s operations. On November 5, 2024, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) sealed the organisation’s office, citing unauthorised commercial activity. Later, Lahore’s electricity company removed the organisation’s meter and issued a fine of Rs 3.8 million. A private bank also froze HRCP’s accounts. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was reported to have directed the freeze, which it later denied.

HRCP officials say issues such as enforced disappearances, the deportation of refugees, and provincial rights over land and minerals are being treated as off-limits by state authorities. Khalique said HRCP continues to document enforced disappearances, particularly in Balochistan. Government data from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances puts the number of missing persons at 10,565 since 2011, although rights groups estimate the number is higher.

In its 2024 annual report, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) categorically denounced the practice as a “crime against humanity” under international law and demanded its immediate cessation. The report’s release coincided with the COAS General Asim Munir’s recent call for stronger governance and Pakistan’s transformation into a “hard state”, a statement that has drawn mixed reactions. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari remained unavailable for comment on the matter.