Pakistan's human rights 'message' on Kashmir, Palestine trolled by its own citizens: 'Jokistan'

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In a message replete with irony and double standards, Pakistan on Wednesday issued a statement on the International Day of Human Rights in a bid to call out the Kashmir situation and the Palestine conflict to further its long-standing propoganda before the world.

However, social media users were quick to point out Pakistan's own dark track record on human rights and advised the government to avoid lecturing others.

The statement, titled "Message from the deputy prime minister/foreign minister on the International Day of Human Rights 2025", spoke about the steps allegedly taken by the Pakistani government to "protect the rights of women, children, and minorities."

The message also sought to highlight the Kashmir and Palestine issue, shamelessly claiming that "millions face privation and daily assaults on their dignity and rights" in the region.

It alleged that people "under occupation" continue to suffer atrocities and "serious human rights violations while striving for their inalienable right to self-determination."

India has consistently and decisively rejected Pakistan’s allegations of human rights abuses in Jammu & Kashmir, calling as politically motivated attempts to internationalise a bilateral issue and deflect attention from Pakistan’s own terrorism record and rights violations.

And this is where the irony lies.

While Pakistan uses every opportunity to divert attention to Kashmir, it conveniently ignores the plight of its own people as well as its dubious track record.

In its Pakistan 2024 Human Rights Report, US State Department had flagged significant human rights issues in the country, included unlawful or arbitrary killings; disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; transnational repression against individuals in another country; serious abuses in a conflict; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence against journalists, unjustified arrests and disappearances of journalists, and censorship; restrictions of religious freedom; threats of violence motivated by antisemitism; and significant or systematic restrictions on workers’ freedom of association.

Moreover, it said that the Pakistan government “rarely took credible steps” to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses.

It also pointed out widespread human rights abuses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

A separate report by the Pakistan-based rights organisation, Defence of Human Rights, recently said that the Pakistan army’s human rights record remains a “matter of grave concern” for international bodies and rights groups.

“The forces are being accused of carrying out arbitrary and unlawful killings, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and widespread torture in all provinces,” it said.

Meanwhile, UN experts in 2024 urged Pakistan to address serious violations in Balochistan, calling for criminalisation of enforced disappearance, independent search mechanisms and accountability for security personnel.

Even official statements to UN bodies acknowledge over ten thousand disappearance cases registered nationwide, with hundreds to thousands still unresolved, underlining the scale of the problem.

The post on X by the Pakistani foreign ministry invited widespread trolling, with users calling out Islamabad's hypocricy.

“Now Pakistan will teach about Human rights. Bangladesh Genocide (1971) Carried out by the Pakistan Army & allied militias ~3 million civilians killed (estimated) ~2–4 lakh women raped 10 million refugees fled to India. Began on 25 March 1971 (Operation Searchlight) One of the worst genocides of the 20th century,” said one user.

Another user, a Pakistani, said: "Mazak Acha Kar lete ho aap log" (You are really good at making jokes).

"There’s is nothing like HUMAN RIGHTS in Pakistan. Govt. Itself breaking laws and violating human rights on dialy basis," said another user from the country.

One user remarked that Pakistan must fix the problems in Balochistan first before lecturing others: "Maybe start with human rights in Balochistan first. Fix that before giving big lectures to the world."

"Irony died 1000000 times," said another user, while one person mockingly called the country "Jokistan".