London [United Kingdom], October 16 : Amnesty International announced on Wednesday that Pakistan is set for its second review by the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva on October 17 and 18, emphasizing that "human rights violations and abuses are still widespread."
This review falls under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is a signatory, according to the rights organization's statement.
The organization highlighted several concerning issues reported in the past month, including two extrajudicial killings of blasphemy suspects by police, crackdowns on protests, the enactment of the restrictive Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, arbitrary detention and mass arrests of opposition workers and leaders, a ban on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), and harassment of human rights defenders like Mahrang Baloch.
Amnesty noted that the review offers an opportunity for the Pakistani government to assess the state of human rights in the country and implement concrete measures to address the concerns raised.
On October 6, the government banned the PTM, citing threats to national peace and security. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the PTM was declared "unlawful" under Section 11B of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. A notification from the interior ministry stated that the PTM posed a "significant danger" to public order and safety, resulting in its inclusion in the First Schedule of the ATA as a proscribed organization.
However, on October 10, the federal government tentatively agreed to lift the ban, subject to certain conditions. Sources indicated that specific procedures must be followed for this, leading to the temporary suspension of the ban notification. It was also agreed that the 'proscribed' PTM could proceed with its scheduled Pashtoon Qaumi Jirga on October 11. Following the ban, Amnesty International urged Pakistani authorities on October 8 to revoke the PTM's prohibition, calling it "an affront to the rights of freedom of association and peaceful assembly in the country."
Last month, Amnesty International also called for a "thorough, impartial, and independent" investigation into the recent killings of two blasphemy suspects by police in Sindh and Balochistan. On September 12, police constable Saad Khan Sarhadi shot a blasphemy suspect, Abdul Ali, inside the lockup at the Cantt Police Station in Quetta.
A week later, Shah Nawaz Kunhbar was killed by police in an 'encounter' in Mirpurkhas. After his body was returned to his family, they were followed by extremists who seized the corpse and set it on fire Dawn reported.
On Saturday, Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch was charged in a terrorism case for allegedly inciting people by making "allegations against security institutions." The FIR claimed she was involved with various militant groups, naming nine, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). It stated, "The innocent men and women of Balochistan have been misled by failed anti-state conspiracies." Mahrang described the case as "fabricated," asserting that it reflects the state's growing discomfort with her activism.
Earlier, on October 8, immigration authorities at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport barred her from boarding a flight to New York, where she was scheduled to attend a Time magazine event. Mahrang was featured in Time magazine's '2024 Time100 Next' list for her peaceful advocacy for Baloch rights.
According to Dawn report on Monday, the Sindh High Court prohibited police from arresting or harassing her. She filed two petitions through her lawyer, Jibran Nasir, seeking to quash the FIR against her and to initiate an inquiry into certain police officers who allegedly assaulted her and her companions, confiscating her mobile phone and passport at the airport. A two-judge bench led by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar ordered the police to refrain from taking any coercive action against her concerning the FIR.
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