TheCredibleTimes

November 17, 2017 By Haroon Baloch Pakistan submitted national report for its human rights review under a unique and important UN mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review. It presents a flowery picture of everything good in the country from civil and political rights to economic and cultural rights, gender rights and the rights of minorities. Then why do Pakistanis make such a hue and cry? Why televisions and newspapers are thronged with rights violations? And who brought them to the lime light? Definitely these liars have nothing to do with patriotism and the country — are they traitors? Attacks on journalists, kidnappings, torture and threats to them and their families are common in Pakistan, and these are done with absolute impunity The review is taking place in Geneva today, and Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif is leading a large Pakistani delegation at the Human Rights Council. Last time, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar presented this report and made sev...

May 25, 2017 By Haroon Baloch Pakistan’s human rights record, specifically when it comes to civil liberties, is dismal. In next July, the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva is due to review Pakistan’s performance under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is the first time since 2010 when Pakistan ratified this UN convention which deals with fundamental rights including freedom of expression, the right to information, assembly, association, privacy, and religion among others. Another important event vis-a-vis human rights will take place in November 2017, again in Geneva, where the UN Human Rights Council will take a holistic review of human rights in Pakistan under its unique instrument — Universal Periodic Review. Several civil society groups and individuals have submitted shadow reports on different thematic areas parallel to the state’s reports for these two reviews. Nonetheless, there has been a progression in human rights violations, but the state st...