US human rights report on Pakistan termed ‘selective, one-sided’

ISLAMABAD: Analysts and experts on Friday dismissed the latest US State Department human rights report on Pakistan, terming it a selective interpretation of facts that failed to acknowledge the country’s legitimate security concerns and ongoing reform efforts.

The 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Pakistan, released on August 12, cited concerns ranging from enforced disappearances and media restrictions to minority rights and labour protections.

Responding to the report, experts said human rights assessments were increasingly being used as tools of pressure against fragile nations rather than applied to address undeniable and continuing atrocities such as those in Palestine, Kashmir, and other long-ignored crises.

They stressed that measures taken in sensitive regions, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, were driven by existential terrorist threats that have claimed hundreds of civilian and security lives. “No sovereign state under siege compromises its citizens’ safety,” they added.

They maintained that Pakistan’s human rights situation was often misrepresented by hostile elements abroad who provided one-sided narratives and data.

On enforced disappearances, experts said many cases were linked to individuals joining violent extremist networks, while legitimate cases are investigated under the law by dedicated commissions.

They pointed to the presence of anti-torture legislation enforced through judicial oversight, alongside ongoing institutional reforms to eliminate abuse. Independent media continued to operate nationwide, with courts striking down executive bans and defending journalists against arbitrary harassment, the added.

Defending religious and blasphemy-related laws, experts said they were aimed at preventing unrest in a diverse society, noting that their misuse was prosecuted. Progressive steps such as the Christian and Sikh Marriage Acts, they said, demonstrated Pakistan’s commitment to protecting minority rights.

Moreover, they stated, constitutional provisions on religion were rooted in national consensus while safeguarding the fundamental rights of all citizens without discrimination.

On labour protections, experts cited enhanced inspections, expanded union access, and active enforcement against child marriage as evidence of progress.

They also rejected allegations of transnational repression as baseless, insisting that Pakistan’s overseas operations targeted only internationally recognized terrorist threats.

Highlighting Pakistan’s humanitarian record, they noted that the country had hosted 2.3 million Afghan refugees for decades without any treaty obligation, calling it a service “unmatched globally.”