NCHR submits report on ‘Pakistan’s compliance with CERD’

Islamabad:Alternate report on the implementation of International Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) by National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) indicates an exponential rise in the number of persons incarcerated for blasphemy in Pakistan over the last three and a half years, from 9 incidents in the year 2021 to 705 cases in 2024.

The government of Pakistan will present its Periodic Report before the International Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ICERD in Geneva on Thursday. The Pakistani delegation will include Secretary Human Rights, Senator Mumtaz Zehri and Senator Khalil Sandu as members of the delegation. As Pakistan's leading National Human Rights Institution NHRI, the NCRH has also submitted an alternate Report on 'Pakistan's Compliance with Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)' in the United Nations.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is one of the core human rights Conventions that Pakistan is a signatory to. The ICERD, under Article 1, defines racial discrimination as distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. ICERD obligates Pakistan to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms, and to promote understanding among all races.

The report highlights the fact that while Pakistan is a signatory to the ICERD, an understanding of racial discrimination in the country is limited as racial discrimination has not been defined under any domestic statute. Other barriers include lack of resources, lack of understanding and awareness and an absence of clear policies as well as lack of training continues to impede the realisation of CERD in Pakistan.

The report identifies the issues related to racial discrimination in Pakistan and the steps taken by the government of Pakistan and NCHR to address these issues. Based on ICERD definition of racial discrimination, the report highlights various issues of racial discrimination within the context of Pakistan such as ethnic marginalization and lack of political representation, religious and sectarian discrimination, socio-Economic disparities and refugee populations.

Quoting civil society reports, the report mentions that at least 136 persons cases of alleged forced conversion occurred during 2023, the majority of whom were Hindu women and girls in Sindh. Alarmingly, the provinces of Punjab and Sindh, where terrorism incidents were previously lower compared to other provinces, have witnessed the highest number of incidents against minority communities. 142 in Punjab and 47 in Sindh in 2023 alone.

Nonetheless, the report says that realizing its obligations the State has taken various steps to protect its citizens from racial discrimination, by focusing on issues such as minority rights, hate speech etc. which were recognized and appreciated by this Committee in its review of Pakistan in 2016.

The report shows that between January 2022 and July 2023, the NCHR undertook 133 cases concerning the protection of minority rights. These cases included 76 complaints and 57 suo motu actions. The highest number of cases were in Punjab, and the second highest were reported in Sindh.

Commenting on ethnic and racial diversity in Pakistan, Chairperson NCHR Rabiya Javeri Agha said that Pakistan, with a population exceeding 240 million, is a multi-ethnic and multilingual country. "Pakistan is home to a rich tapestry of ethnic groups and religious minorities. While this diversity is a source of cultural richness, it also presents significant challenges related to ethnic and racial discrimination," she said.

The key recommendations given by the NCHR for the State Party's consideration include unified policy on religious extremism, fair employment and implementation of minority quotas, access to justice, speedy investigation of religious and ethnic violence and strengthening accountability in investigations.

The report also calls for establishing specialized police units, introducing program to curb extremism and hate speech, emphasising tolerance and inclusivity in educational institutions, implementing government's pledge to reform the Mad­rassa education system, promoting human rights and responsibilities and effective implementation of Justice Jilani Judgment besides drafting and implementing comprehensive policy for online and offline hate speech.