HRCP report highlights rising political repression and violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan

HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, HRCP co-chair Munizae Jahangir and former HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani (Image Credit: X/@HRCP87)

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released its State of Human Rights in 2024 report on Wednesday, highlighting a decline in civic freedoms, worsening law and order, and growing tensions within federalism, as reported by Dawn.

The report also pointed out that the 2024 elections in Pakistan were tainted by allegations of manipulation, with the new government allowing undemocratic forces to gain ground through the swift passage of flawed laws.

The report further drew attention to the to surge in violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan with over 2,500 terrorism-related deaths and at least 24 killed by vigilante mobs, some linked to blasphemy accusations.

The report also flags political repression in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir amid mass protests over rising flour and power costs. HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt noted 379 enforced disappearances, two extrajudicial killings over blasphemy, and 4,864 police encounters in Sindh and Punjab during the year.

Former HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani said enforced disappearances are unjustifiable under any circumstances, including war or insurgency, and stressed that all acts of violence must be addressed through legal means, Dawn reported.

The Joint Awami Action Committee's (JAAC) protests in May 2024 escalated into a mass rebellion that culminated in a protracted march to Muzaffarabad. Four people, including a police officer, were killed when the authorities used force in their response, leading to widespread arrests and allegations of torture. The HRCP report also voices deep concern over the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan.

The HRCP report underscored a troubling rise in violence against women and children in 2024, documenting at least 405 honour killings, 1,641 domestic-related murders, 4,175 reported rape cases, and 1,630 incidents involving violence against minors.