‘Public should raise their voices about human rights violations’

Dr Riaz Ahmed speaks about missing persons, lack of public outcry at discussion

KARACHI: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Joint Action Committee, trade unions and civil society organisations jointly organised a discussion on ‘Shrinking Space of Politics and Freedom of Expression’ at the HRCP office on Friday.

The main speaker at the event was the recently released Dr Riaz Ahmed, who was arrested by law enforcers in an illicit weapon case. The Karachi University professor underlined the need for a strong public movement for missing persons and violation of human rights by the state's law enforcers.

Dr Ahmed said he was taken into custody because he and a few of his colleagues wanted to raise their voices against the detention of Dr Zafar Arif, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement- London member and retired KU teacher.

Dr Ahmed said he was lucky and a privileged person to be a teacher because the media, teachers, human rights organisations and teachers associations raised their voices for him. But thousands of political workers are languishing in detention camps - like torture centres - and no one is raising their voice for them, he lamented.



Dr Ahmed emphasised the need for mobilisation of the masses and entering into dialogue with political parties to end violation of human rights in the country. It was due to the role of political parties that extra-constitutional laws such as the Protection of Pakistan Act and constitutional amendments to allow military courts, he said. According to the professor, it is due to laws enacted by politicians that extra judicial killings have increased and there is no effective voice against those atrocities.

HRCP Vice-Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt claimed that freedom of expression is being curbed in Karachi. He said there is a need for unity among the masses to end violation of human rights.

Politician Abdul Hai Baloch said political parties have failed to raise their voices for the people. Even though major political parties are enjoying powers in the government, people suffer a lot due to the selfishness of the party members, he lamented.



Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation, Raheema Panhwar of the Strengthening Participatory Organisation, Shujauddin Qureshi of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Farhat Parween of NOWCommunities, Naghma Iqtidar of the Democratic Students Federation, trade union leader Manzoor Razi, Saeed Baloch of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and other civil society activists attended the meeting.