Category Archives: Human Rights Issues

Yasser Latif Hamdani

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2008 and ratified it with reservations in 2010. In 2011, the Pakistan government, on instructions from Prime Minister Gilani, withdrew almost all of the reservations. Continue reading →

By Iqbal Alimohamed

An important development occurred recently, which could represent a major turning point in Pakistan’s history. For a long time, Pakistan has been criticised by civil society organisations and international bodies Continue reading →

Huma Yusuf

IN November, the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) attempted to filter 1,500 words out of SMS messages.
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Kamila Hyat

When genocides take place in countries, or regions within them, we usually have one group of people murdering another – either as some form of ‘ethnic cleansing’, or on the basis of religious belief. A combination of these factors has of course also taken place, and there is absolutely no evidence at this point that our world is becoming a more civilised place with such events continuing unabated around the world.
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By: Afzal Hussain

Jammu and Kashmir was and still is famous for its enthralling beauty and natural scenery throughout the world. According to its history, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir once said: “If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” However, after the partition of the subcontinent, unfortunately, the paradise has turned into hell, underlining a sad saga of human rights violations, extrajudicial killings and gang rapes.
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Tanveer Jahan

This month, both Houses of parliament unanimously passed two bills to further bolster legal protection for Pakistani women against nefarious practices, denoting gender-based discrimination in society. The first bill has increased the punishment of acid attacks against women to a minimum sentence of 14 years that could extend to life imprisonment, besides a mandatory fine of Rs 1 million. Continue reading →

Farhat Taj

The International Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10. The day commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. The declaration endows all human beings with rights as inalienable and universal entitlements. Many states, including Pakistan, have signed the declaration, but nevertheless the declaration is being violated around the world by state as well as non-state actors
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Yasser Latif Hamdani

At its zenith, which came during the period in the 16th century when Suleiman the Magnificent was ruling Turkey, the Ottoman imperial project stretched from Austria to Armenia and down to the Arabian Peninsula. Continue reading →