E-BulletinJanuary-June 2016

News

Events

Events

Human Rights Commission of PakistanAiwan-i-Jamhoor, 107-Tipu Block,

New Garden Town, Lahore - 54600,Pakistan

Tel: (92-42) 35838341, 35864994,Complaint Cell: (92-42) 35845969,

0333-2006800 Fax: (92-42) 35883582

E-Mail: hrcp@hrcp-web.orgWebsite: www.hrcp-web.org

HRCP commemorated International Women's Day on March 8 with aconsultation in Islamabad to discuss women's representation inpolitical life, judiciary and governance.On May 19, an HRCP workshop on child labor in Pakistan stressedthe need for a comprehensive child labor survey.At an HRCP consultation in Lahore on the GSP + regime on May 20.The participants outlined critical areas requiring immediate attention,including workers' rights and ensuring that Pakistan's laws andpractice do not depart from international standards.A consultation on safeguarding places of religious significance againstfaith-based attacks was held in Lahore on May 19 and 20.A campaign was organised for implementation of the Conventionagainst Torture (CAT) on June 26, International Day in Support ofVictims of Torture, which included consultations and demonstrationsby HRCP offices across the country. A postcard addressed to thePresident of Pakistan, containing seven key demands with regard toCAT, was printed and disseminated.

Established in 1986, HumanRights Commission of

Pakistan (HRCP) is a non-profit, non-governmental

organisation. HRCP aims torealize the entire body of

human rights, as defined ininternational instruments, by

all citizens of Pakistan, aswell as all persons present in

the country.

Volunteers at the grassrootshelp HRCP monitor the rightssituation in almost all districts

of Pakistan. HRCP closelymonitors and documents

selected rights violations andcrime in 60 districts across six

regions of Pakistan(Balochostan, FATA, Gilgit

Baltistan, KhyberPakhtunkhwa, interior Sindh

and South Punjab). Theobjective is to put an end to the

violations and to bring theperpetrators to justice.

ISLAMABAD: HRCP held a conference in March on Women in Public Life on the occasionof International Women’s Day.

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A total of 73 convicted persons have been hanged during thefirst six months of 2016.

Military courts have so far convicted at least 81 persons,including sentencing 77 convicts to death. 12 of these convictshave been executed.

The total number of persons sentenced to death in the first sixmonths of 2016 were 237.

Summary of key violations in selected districts

Region-wise violations

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A summary of violations recorded in focussed monitoring by HRCP volunteers in 60 districts across Pakistanfrom Jan - May 2016. These include several cases that were not covered by the national news media.

Important cases of human rights violations

Transgender activist killed: On May 22 Alisha, coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Trans Alliance Action, wasshot by a young man multiple times. She died in Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital, where the staff deliberatedfor an hour whether to treat her in the male or female ward. They finally operated upon her in front of thelavatory.

Torture: On March 21, several policemen in Bannu district beat up a man during a 24-hour period in custody. Hisapparent crime was hitting a police van with his donkey cart in a road accident. He was forced to pay for damageto the van and the police allegedly demanded money for his release.

Dishonor crimes In March, Upper Dir, a woman was killed by her in-laws after she visited a bank to collect her monthly stipendunder an income augmentation programme for poor women. Her in-laws said that she must have spoken tostrangers at the bank, bringing a bad name to the family. A case was registered and two suspects arrested.

In February, in Lower Dir, a woman murdered her 17-year-old daughter-in-law after accusing her of having illicitrelations with men. The suspect initially claimed that the victim had committed suicide. However, in police custodyshe confessed to slashing the victim’s throat with a knife, arguing that she was of ‘immoral character’.

Enforced and involuntary disappearance In January, in Larkana district, a University of Sindh student affiliated with Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, anationalist political party, was allegedly picked up by six security personnel, clad in plain clothes who came inpick-up trucks. His family made inquiries with the police, who denied having any information about the case.He remains missing.

In Diamer district of Gilgit Baltistan, an electrician with the Public Works Department, who was reportedlypicked up by security forces in 2013, died in custody. In January 2016, his brother was reportedly summonedto the security force’s office and informed that the victim had died of renal failure. The family claimed that thevictim's body was covered in bruises.

Extra-judicial execution In March, a man was shot and killed by police during a workers’ demonstration in Jamshoro, Sindh. Theworkers at a textile factory in were demanding better wages and payment of arrears when the factory ownerscalled the police. The police charged the workers with batons and then fired live ammunition, causing aworker’s death

In May, Aftab Ahmed, who was the coordinator of a senior leader of the MQM, was arrested by Rangers inKarachi and died in custody. The Rangers claimed that he had died of natural causes. However, a post-mortemrevealed that 40 % of his body was covered in bruises. Five officers were suspended and an inquiry ordered.

Following are some of the more prominent cases drawn from focused monitoring by HRCP volunteers and mediamonitoring from Jan-May 2016.

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Key human rights developments

The Punjab Protection of Women againstViolence Act, 2016 was passed into law by

the Punjab legislative assembly inMarch. Several conservative clerics andreligious political leaders vociferously

slammed the law as being an attempt to makePakistan a ‘Western colony’, and a measurethat would ‘damage the cultural fabric’ of

society and ‘spike the divorce rate’. Some ofthe law’s critics taunted the legislators who

supported the legislation by calling them‘zann mureed’ (followers of women).

The European Commission’s firstassessment report on the impact of

GSP + scheme, which was publishedin January 2016, noted that human

rights violations remained widespread inPakistan and the government mustprioritize the implementation of all

27 international conventions related tohuman rights, good governance, labour

rights and the environment.

In April, the National Assemblyapproved the Prevention of Electronic

Crimes Act, 2015. Civil society hascriticized the law for giving extensivepowers to law enforcement agencies,

undermining privacy and clamping downon fundamental human rights. The bill is

pending before the Senate, the upperhouse of parliament. HRCP and othercivil society organizations have been

urging the senators to ensure that the billis not passed without addressing civil

society concerns.

In May, the Council of Islamic Ideology(CII) proposed its own version of

women’s protection bill, which it called a‘model’ bill on the subject. Among otherthings, the draft included permission tohusbands to ‘lightly beat’ their wives.The ‘model’ draft was developed as aresponse to the women protection bill

adopted by the Punjablegislative assembly in March 2016.

HRCP condemned the draft, stating thatit contained regressive, illegal andredundant advice and called for the

abolition of the CII.

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The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan halted the executions ofseveral men convicted in different cases by the military courts. The

civil society had expressed alarm when the SC upheld, in August 2015,establishment of the military courts in August 2015. The SC stay of

executions offers renewed hope that a closer scrutiny of the cases by theapex court would lead to thorough assessment of concerns regarding lack

of fair trial and due process.

In May, Lahore High Court (LHC)restored a provision of Christian

Divorce Act of 1869 which enabledChristian men to divorce their wives

in a dignified manner. In 1981,military ruler Zia ul Haq had deleted

Section 7 of the Act through anordinance, leaving no ground for

Christian men to divorce their wivesexcept on adultery charges. The LHC

made the order on a petition by aChristian man, who wanted to divorcehis wife but not on adultery charges.

In June, the federal interior ministryconfirmed that it planned to renew

Protection of Pakistan Act (POPA),enacted in July 2014 with the statedobjective of combatting terrorism and

providing speedy trial for terroristoffences. POPA, set to expire on 15July 2016, has proved completely

ineffective as the special courtsconstituted under the Act have not

concluded even a single trial. HRCPdemands that authorities must, instead ofrenewing POPA, focus on strengthening

the regular criminal justice system.

In June, the Gilgit Baltistan SupremeAppellate Court (SAC) upheld a trialcourt’s conviction of Baba Jan and 11

other activists to a 40-year prison term.Baba Jan had actively campaigned for

compensating thousands of peopledisplaced in a 2010 landslide in Attabad, inHunza-Nagar district, in which a numberof villages were destroyed. After proteststurned violent following the death of two

protesters, he was arrested and tried underthe Anti-Terrorism Act. The SAC short

order did not mention any reason forupholding the conviction.

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In April, the administration in districtOkara denied peasants associated with

Anjuman Muzareen Punjab (AMP)their right to peaceful protest. They

were barred from holding a conventionon International Peasants’ Day in orderto draw attention to the Okara peasants’long struggle for their right to the landthey have been cultivating for decades.

A large number of peasants were bookedunder anti-terrorism legislation, andAMP Secretary General Mehr Abdul

Sattar was arrested.

Statement of demands on Women’s Day*

A conference organized by the HumanRights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on women’s

representation“Women in public life: breaking the barriers”, in Islamabad on the eve

of International Women’s Day concluded with the participants adopting the following resolution:

Recalling that the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, prohibits any discriminationon the basis of sex;

Reiterating Pakistan’s obligations under international treaties including CEDAW toensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and increase

women’s capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership roles;

Noting with concern the dismal proportion of women’s representation, in positions of powerand leadership in the legal profession, in governance and in parliament,

which is among the lowest in the world;

Acknowledging that the representation of women in positions of power reflects institutional,structural and attitudinal barriers, which needs to be urgently

Affirming that the empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement ofwomen’s participation in public life is essential for the fulfillment of equality, social justice,

human rights, and democracy; and

Admiring women’s courage and tenacity to defy gender stereotypes and structuralbarriers to progress in their professional lives despite growing intolerance

and insecurity in society.

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*This statement of demands was adopted at the conclusion of a conference organised by HRCP in Islamabad tocommemorate International Women's Day on 8th March.

Urge all branches of the State to:

Establish gender balance in government bodies and committees, as well as in publicadministrative entities, and in the judiciary, including, inter alia, setting specific targets and

implementing measures to substantially increase the number of women with a view toachieving equal representation of women and men, if necessary through affirmative action,

irrespective of their social, economic, ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Put in place transparent criteria for appointment to decision-making positions and ensurethat the selecting bodies have a gender-balanced composition.

Develop mechanisms and training opportunities to facilitate and encourage women toparticipate in the legal profession, the electoral process, political activities and other key

areas of public life.

Provide gender-sensitive training for women and men to promote non-discriminatoryworking relationships and accommodate women’s special needs, wherever required, for

them to carry out their professional responsibilities.

Ensure that there are adequate codes of conduct and disciplinary mechanisms to effectivelyprevent and provide redress against sexual intimidation and

Monitor and evaluate progress in the representation of women through the regularcollection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative and qualitative data at all levels in

various decision-making positions in the public and private sectors.Provide a level-playing field to women by confronting gender stereotypes and taking steps

to eliminate violence and discrimination against women that have barred them fromimportant leadership roles.

Urges political parties to:

Examine party structures and procedures to remove all barriers that directly or indirectlydiscriminate against the participation of women in the electoral process, including throughamendments to the Political Parties Act, 2002, and the Representation of People’s Act,

1976.Incorporate gender issues in their manifestos, taking measures to ensure that women are

enabled to participate in the leadership of political parties.

Urges civil society organizations to:

Continue their efforts to engage with all stakeholders to reduce discrimination, prejudicesand structural barriers that prevent women from realizing their potential as equal citizens.

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