UN HR body raises alarm over treatment of minorities in Pakistan

GENEVA: The UN Human Rights Committee in its latest report on Pakistan has raised its deep concern about the rise of discrimination, hate speech, hate crimes, mob violence and harassment against religious minorities, in particular Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus and Sikhs, as well as the destruction of their worship places and cemeteries.

The UN Human Rights Committee on Thursday issued its findings on Ecuador, France, Greece, Iceland, Pakistan and Türkiye, after examining the six States parties in its latest session.

The findings contain the concerns and recommendations shared by the committee to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other related conventions. The UN’s body in its latest findings on Pakistan expressed that it was disturbed by the increasing number of incarcerations for breaching blasphemy laws, which are sanctioned with severe penalties, including the death penalty.

The UN committee noted that there had also been allegations of entrapment of people, in particular young people, on accusations of online blasphemy under cybercrime laws. The committee urged Pakistan to take measures to prevent and investigate all acts of discrimination and violence, as well as hate speech and incitement to public violence against religious minorities, and to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished.

It also called for all blasphemy laws to be repealed or amended in line with the strict requirements of the Covenant and for an end to the use of cybercrime laws, such as the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, to prosecute and detain those accused of breaching blasphemy laws online.

While noting the adoption of the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Act 2021, the committee expressed concerns about frequent reports of enforced disappearance, torture, killing, threats, and harassment of journalists and human rights defenders. It was also concerned about the alarmingly frequent use of Internet shutdowns and blockage of social media platforms and online content.

The committee also highlighted the chilling effect that criminal defamation laws, blasphemy, sedition and counter-terrorism laws, and other legislation have on the exercise of freedoms of expression, assembly and association.

The committee asked the State party in Pakistan to investigate the enforced disappearances, torture, killings, and intimidation of journalists and human rights defenders, prosecute perpetrators, and compensate victims. It also called upon Pakistan to stop restricting freedom of expression, such as Internet shutdowns and the blocking of websites and online resources and bans on social media platforms, and to ensure that criminal laws and counter-terrorism legislation are not used to silence journalists and human rights defenders.