UN Watch in the News
The Post (Pakistan)
May 9, 2008
The New York-based Freedom House and Geneva-based UN Watch in a report have questioned the human rights record of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Gabon, Bahrain and Zambia and said that they should be debarred from the membership of the Human Rights Council (HRC). The two human rights watchdogs evaluated each of the 20 candidates based on their record of human rights protection at home and their record of human rights promotion at the UN. According to the human rights bodies, a quarter of countries vying for seats on the Council have human rights records that should disqualify them from the membership. The study found five countries ‘not qualified’, including Gabon, Bahrain, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zambia. All of these countries except Bahrain are incumbent candidates. The report questioned the eligibility of Brazil, East Timor and Burkina Faso, whose human rights records ‘are mixed’. The report comes at a time when the UN General Assembly prepares to elect 15 new HRC members, or one-third of the body’s membership, on May 21. The evaluation included the countries’ rankings in Freedom House and UN Watch analyses, as well as reports from Reporters San Frontières, The Economist’s democracy index and the Democracy Coalition Project.
It is a fact that this unfortunate incident takes place at a time when Pakistan’s human rights record is bleak. Our democratic institutions, civil liberties and women’s rights are not up to the mark. This situation has earned Pakistan a bad name in the eyes of the world community, especially the human rights organisations like the Amnesty International (AI). While the country’s human rights record may not be something worth repeating, however, it would be difficult to ignore the recent past marked by curbs on the media and denying a large section of society the freedom of expression. From March 9, 2007, lawyers, students and members of civil society organisations have been victims of torture for violating Section 144 on many occasions. Moreover, there are still cases of enforced disappearance of hundreds of people from Balochistan, the NWFP and other parts of the country. The new government should not follow the authoritarian form of governance for resolving the crises being faced by the country. It is the need of the hour to establish a democratic and responsible government which fully respects human rights and protects its citizens. The government should depute a human rights officer in missions in those countries where Pakistani prisoners are suffering. The prime minister’s 100 day reform and relief package is indeed a welcome step, particularly lifting of ban on student and trade unions, review of the Pemra Ordinance and the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCRs), incentives to women workers, relief to farmers, increase in the minimum wages and expansion of employment opportunities.
For the development of Pakistan, it is important that human rights defenders can pursue their legitimate roles without any fear. Democratic credentials matter a lot in the comity of nations as well as civil liberties. The poor state of human rights will continue to bring a bad name to the country unless meaningful steps are taken to address the concerns of the oppressed. Unless and until the human rights situation improves, we cannot expect international human rights bodies to accept us in their fold.
Copyright 2008, The Post (Pakistan)
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