ISLAMABAD: Pakistan faced one of the worst economic crises in its history in 2023 with rising rates of poverty, inflation and unemployment, jeopardizing the rights of millions of people to health, food and an adequate standard of living, according to a report by Human Rights Watch.
In 740 pages”Global Report 2024Human Rights Watch, which became available on Friday, reviewed human rights practices in more than 100 countries and noted that the IMF’s insistence on austerity and eliminating subsidies without adequate compensatory measures has created additional hardship for low-income countries. Income groups in Pakistan
The country remains overly vulnerable to climate change and faces rates of temperature rise well above the global average, making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, according to the UN report. a report.
Human Rights Watch said that increasing repression by governments in Asia is negatively affecting human rights locally and internationally. The report adds that Asia, unlike Europe, Africa and the Americas, lacks a meaningful human rights charter or regional institution to protect human rights standards.
The IMF’s insistence on eliminating subsidies without taking compensatory measures increases the difficulties faced by low-income groups
The report says that government threats and attacks on the media have created a climate of fear among journalists and civil society organizations, with many resorting to self-censorship. Authorities pressured or threatened the media not to criticize state institutions or the judiciary.
NGOs reported that various groups were subjected to intimidation, harassment, and surveillance by government authorities. The government used its regulatory policies regarding international NGOs in Pakistan to obstruct the registration and operation of international humanitarian and human rights organizations.
The report says violence against women and girls – including rape, murder, acid attacks, domestic violence, deprivation of education, sexual harassment at work, child and forced marriage – is a serious problem across Pakistan. Human rights advocates estimate that nearly 1,000 women are killed in so-called “honour killings” each year.
In Punjab, 10,365 cases of violence against women were reported to the police in the first four months of 2023, according to a local NGO. The actual number of incidents is likely much higher given barriers to reporting, harmful social norms, and ineffective and harmful responses by police. The conviction rate for rape in Pakistan is less than three percent.
More than six million children of primary school age and 13 million children of secondary school age in Pakistan were out of school, the majority of whom were girls. Human Rights Watch found that girls miss school for reasons including lack of schools, costs associated with schooling, child marriage, harmful child labor, and gender discrimination.
Lack of mental health awareness in Pakistani society contributes to mistreatment of people with psychosocial disabilities and mental health conditions.
Prisoners who seek mental health support are often ridiculed and denied services. The prison system lacks mental health professionals, and prison authorities tend to view any report of a mental health condition with suspicion. Transgender women, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remained vulnerable to attacks.
Nearly 37% of Pakistan’s population of 230 million faced food insecurity as of 2018, yet only 8.9 million households received assistance to mitigate the impact of rampant inflation.
In July, the European Union proposed extending Pakistan’s enhanced Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+) status for another four years, enabling Pakistan to enjoy trade preferences and access to the European market.
Pakistan and China deepened their broad economic and political ties in 2023, and work continued on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a project consisting of the construction of roads, railways and energy pipelines.
“The threats posed by abusive governments in Asia to human rights domestically and internationally require bold new approaches from governments and democratic institutions that respect rights,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
Published in Al-Fajr, January 20, 2024