Pakistan encountered one of its worst economic crises in 2023, with escalating poverty, inflation, and unemployment jeopardizing millions of people’s basic rights, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. The ‘World Report 2024,’ spanning 740 pages and released on Friday, scrutinized human rights practices across more than 100 countries, emphasizing the impact of IMF-mandated austerity and subsidy removal on low-income groups in Pakistan.
The report underlines Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change, with warming rates exceeding global averages, resulting in more frequent and intense climate events.
The HRW report draws attention to increasing government repression in Asia, negatively affecting human rights locally and internationally. It points out the absence of a meaningful human rights charter or regional institution in Asia compared to other continents.
In Pakistan, government threats and attacks on the media have created an atmosphere of fear among journalists and civil society groups, leading to self-censorship. The report documents intimidation, harassment, and surveillance of various groups by government authorities, with regulations on international NGOs impeding their registration and functioning.
Violence against women and girls, including “honour killings,” rape, murder, acid attacks, and child marriage, is a grave issue in Pakistan. The report highlights the alarming number of women murdered in so-called “honour killings” annually and the challenges in addressing gender-based violence.
The HRW findings also reveal a substantial number of out-of-school children in Pakistan, particularly girls, due to factors like the lack of schools, costs, child marriage, child labour, and gender discrimination.
Mental health awareness in Pakistani society is lacking, contributing to the mistreatment of those with psychosocial disabilities. Transgender women, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, continue to face attacks.
The report notes that a significant portion of Pakistan’s population faces food insecurity, with limited assistance to mitigate the impact of inflation. Despite these challenges, Pakistan extended its economic ties with China in 2023, with ongoing efforts on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The HRW calls for bold approaches from rights-respecting governments and democratic institutions to address the threats posed by abusive governments in Asia to human rights.
