Pakistan - Human rights organisations under threat

Human rights have taken a backseat in Pakistan, of that there is no doubt. We see it all around us from the decay and negligence that has set in across all structures set up for the welfare of citizens. From health to education, food security to aid, the people have been left to fend for themselves. Therefore it ought to not come as a surprise that even human rights organisations and the individuals connected to them are faced with equally irksome conditions. The Democratic Commission for Human Development (DCHD) recently launched a report that has revealed some worrisome figures: as many as 62 percent of human rights organisations in Pakistan are under threat. That is more than half of the groups involved in the noble profession of trying to uplift the downtrodden in the country. Everyone from religious extremists, feudal political groups and law enforcement agencies are involved in issuing threats to human rights defenders in Pakistan. Organisations more involved in protecting women’s rights, child rights, minority rights, labour rights and speaking out against gender-based violence were threatened. As many as 64 percent of aid organisations are threatened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for carrying out their work. These are appalling numbers and they speak volumes for the state of affairs of human rights in our country.

All those associated with human rights are, by and large, peaceful individuals, members of civil society looking to bring some measure of justice to the masses. Their message is so powerful and so universal that they are under threat here by the forces of regression. Malala Yousafzai, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize this year, is a perfect example. Before being shot by a Taliban militant in the head, she was a young activist looking to further the cause of girls’ education in Swat. Her message was unacceptable. She is now one of the most prominent education rights campaigners in the world but she was under threat here in Pakistan. Polio workers in Pakistan are fighting the good fight; they are being attacked and killed in Pakistan but they continue to go door-to-door to immunise the nation’s children with almost no help and security from the government. It is not enough for the government to neglect the citizens; it must also ensure that no proper protection is offered to organisations doing the government’s job for it. It is truly a callous society that can boast such figures.