CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, calls on the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his government to halt the continued harassment of activists and journalists and crackdown on protests. More than two years since the coalition government came to power, there has been a failure to create an enabling environment for citizens and civil society to exercise their freedoms.
Some actions, highlighted in a brief published today by the CIVICUS Monitor, are inconsistent with Pakistan’s human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which it ratified in 2010. The ICCPR imposes obligations to respect and protect civic freedoms, including freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly. These rights are also enshrined in Pakistan's constitution. Due to this, the state of civic space in Pakistan is rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.
Over the last two years, CIVICUS has documented the intimidation, harassment and persecution of human rights defenders including Asad Iqbal Butt, Imaan Zainab Mazari and Dr. Mahrang Baloch. Many have been targeted under criminal defamation, counter-terrorism and sedition laws creating a chilling effect for activism in the country. Our organisation is also concerned about the relentless and systematic crackdown on ethnic Baloch and Pashtun activists who have mobilised thousands to demand accountability, justice and an end to enforced disappearances.
"Since coming to power, the Shehbaz Sharif government has escalated its repression of activists, harassing those who defend human rights and silencing critical voices. This crackdown on freedoms must stop. The government must reverse course to protect the rights of activists and allow them to work without fear, interference or retaliation,” said Josef Benedict, Asia researcher for CIVICUS
CIVICUS is also alarmed by the arrest, harassment and attacks on journalists such as Imran Riaz Khan, Matiullah Jan and Hamid Mir. The UN Human Rights Committee has raised concerns of increased coercion and censorship of media outlets for airing criticism of the government, intelligence agencies and the military, including closures and suspension of licences for television channels, notably by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. There are also concerns about increasing digital restrictions with the use of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to target and arrest online activists.
The government has also deployed restrictive laws that stifle the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly and impose blanket bans on gatherings deemed unfavourable to the government. This has resulted in the prolonged detention of protesters, notably activists, human rights defenders, members of ethnic and religious minorities and political opponents.
“The authorities must revise or repeal all laws to ensure they comply with the government’s commitment to guarantee freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly under the ICCPR. It must also respect the right to protest and ensure that when excessive force or firearms is used, that the perpetrators are held to account,” added Benedict.
The brief also highlights our concerns on the crackdown on the political opposition, the failure to address enforced disappearances and to respect freedom of association.
Download the Pakistan research brief here.
Civic space in Pakistan is rated ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.
About the CIVICUS Monitor
Over twenty organisations collaborate on the CIVICUS Monitor to provide an evidence base for action to improve civic space on all continents. Civic freedoms in 198 countries and territories are categorised as either ‘closed,’ ‘repressed ,’ ‘obstructed ,’ ‘narrowed ’ or ‘open ,’ based on a methodology that combines several data sources on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression
