The ongoing struggle for human rights in Pakistan

As a signatory to the international human rights conventions and agreements, such as the International Bill of Human Rights, the Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Pakistan has often failed to implement even the basic tenets of these agreements. The bleak state of human rights in Pakistan is evident in instances ranging from mob lynchings to the vandalisation of minorities’ religious sites. The brutal killing of Sri Lankan manager Priyantha Kumara on December 3, 2021, in Sialkot, Punjab, is a grim reminder of this reality.

Furthermore, in Balochistan, many elderly mothers still await the return of their sons who are missing since ages. Additionally, hundreds of journalists have lost their lives in the 77 years since the founding of the Islamic Republic. The death of a journalist Nasrullah Gadani, from Ghotki District in Sindh province, symbolises the erosion of human rights values in Pakistan. This is how freedom of speech is silenced in a country whose founders envisioned a state where people are respected, ideologies are upheld, and humanity is cherished.

The plight of transgender persons is reminiscent of some of the darkest periods in human history. It often feels as though we are living in a bygone era, as progress in human rights remains elusive.

This lack of progress extends to education, which is another critical area of concern in Pakistan. According to UNICEF’s latest report from June 3, 2024, Pakistan was among the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, guaranteeing education under Article 28. The country also reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on SDG-4, which emphasises quality education for all. However, more than 26 million school-age children are out of school across Pakistan, making it one of the countries with the highest number of out-of-school children globally. This figure represents over 10% of all out-of-school children worldwide, even though Pakistan accounts for only about 3% of the global population. The majority of these children are girls, the underprivileged, those with disabilities, and children in hard-to-reach areas. Investment in education is declining when it should be increasing. In 2019, education spending was 2.3% of GDP, but it has fallen to 1.7% for the 2023-24 fiscal year, despite the country’s legal commitment to providing free education until the age of sixteen. Education is meant to be the journey from darkness to light, yet how can this light be achieved when a significant portion of the population remains illiterate?

Additionally, the right to vote is one of the most vital human rights according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Pakistan has witnessed low voter turnout in past elections, partly due to a lack of trust in state institutions. Election results are often manipulated, with presiding officers coerced into altering outcomes. Such electoral rigging undermines democracy and further weakens the state of human rights in Pakistan.

Affordability of people to have an access to legal protection is another issue. Statistics reveal that over 57,000 cases are pending in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The backlog in high courts and other judicial bodies remains unknown. The wealthy and powerful often evade justice, while the poor endure endless hearings for a single case.

According to the Labour Force Survey 2020-21, Pakistan’s total labour force stands at 71.76 million, with 67.25 million employed and 4.51 million unemployed, resulting in an unemployment rate of 6.3 percent. However, no subsequent employment survey has been conducted in the last three years, underscoring the government’s neglect of this critical issue.

The right to work remains elusive due to limited job opportunities, as Pakistan has historically invested in nonproductive sectors while neglecting many others. This neglect has fueled a significant brain drain, with thousands of skilled professionals leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad. According to the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, over 700,000 people left Pakistan in 2024 alone, following more than 811,000 the previous year. In 2022, approximately 765,000 highly educated and skilled individuals, including doctors, engineers, IT experts, accountants, and paramedics, sought brighter futures overseas, marking a 300 percent increase in the nation’s brain drain.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to leisure and rest from work. Unfortunately, employees in Pakistan are often treated poorly. They receive low pay and are not allowed to leave work until tasks are completed. Are they given any extra incentives for this? Many would say a resounding “No.”

Therefore, can Pakistan be called a true democracy given the precarious state of human rights? Indeed, it cannot. It is high time for stakeholders to ensure basic rights for all Pakistanis, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, because human rights know no boundaries.