HRCP sounds alarms over ‘troubled election climate’

Alleges discrimination against ‘a political party’ amid poll preps; calls for level playing field

ISLAMABAD:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday expressed alarm over the deteriorating situation ahead of the general elections, calling for a level playing field among all political entities, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Speaking at a news conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, HRCP Co-chair Munizae Jahangir, alongside Nasreen Azhar, Farhatullah Babar, and Afrasiab Khattak, voiced grave concerns regarding rights violations including mass expulsion of Afghan refugees, a rising trend of using blasphemy laws against religious minorities, and the plight of the Baloch community.

Members of the commission expressed concerns over the disruption of the election atmosphere, underscoring the necessity for the preservation of fair and unbiased elections.

"It is imperative to ensure free and fair elections, granting every party an equal opportunity," members of the HRCP said.

Addressing the conference, HRCP Co-chair Munizae Jahangir highlighted that there was a concern over the overall deteriorating situation of human rights in the country, which needs immediate attention.

Jahangir, a senior journalist, emphasised that the fundamental purpose of elections was to enable people to communicate their concerns to their representatives. "If the voter wants to vote for a specific person, it is their due right.”

In an apparent reference to PTI, the members said that foremost is the blatant manipulation of the electoral landscape in which one political party among others has been singled out for systematic dismemberment.

In a statement released after the press conference, the HRCP asserted that while it does not condone violence in any form perpetrated by anyone, the state’s response has been disproportionate and unlawful.

This, it pointed out, has assumed a familiar pattern, including arrests of party workers and supporters, lack of transparency concerning the charges involved, crackdowns on party workers’ right to peaceful assembly, enforced disappearances, obvious signs of pressure on party leaders to resign or exit politics altogether and, most recently, the large-scale rejection of candidates’ nomination papers.

The HRCP alarmingly noted that various other parties have also been subjected to similar tactics to varying degrees, adding that at this point, “there is little evidence to show that the upcoming elections will be free, fair or credible”.

‘Increasing use of blasphemy laws’

The members of the rights commission also expressed concerns over the rights of vulnerable groups which they said have also come under renewed assault by state and nonstate actors in the past year.

HRCP also called for the immediate implementation of the 2014 Supreme Court judgment with respect to religious minorities’ rights.Expressing alarm over the mass expulsion of vulnerable Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, the HRCP said it was in violation of international customary law and without consideration for their prospects of safety in their country of origin.

The members said that the move has put many women, children, elderly and disabled Afghan nationals at risk.

Furthermore, the HRCP said that the state of law and order, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is cause for serious concern.

“There can be no tolerance for militancy, for which the military must cede space to law enforcement agencies while the government must ensure that the police have the training and resources, they need to protect citizens’ lives and property. The state must not allow militants to gain strength through opaque backdoor negotiations as happened last year.”

Finally, the statement added, the state’s clampdown on dissent, whether on freedom of opinion, expression or assembly, has further constricted civic spaces in the country at a time when people must be allowed to express their will freely ahead of a national election.

“The recent crackdown on Baloch women protestors demanding an end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings was a black mark on the state—such repressive tactics need to end.”

The statement highlighted that the HRCP expresses its solidarity with the Baloch women protesting outside the National Press Club and demands that the state produce all those missing in a court of law.

“HRCP strongly believes that these concerns must be tackled as a matter of priority by an elected government that comes to power in a transparent manner, functions independently of external pressure, and commits to protecting and upholding the rights of all citizens and residents,” it added.Details of ROs’ scrutiny

Separately, the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to publish the decisions made by Returning Officers (ROs) regarding objections to candidate nominations and the rejection of nomination papers on its website.

It emphasised that such transparency would enhance informed discussions and bolster electoral transparency.

The network also stressed that the ECP invoke its authority to upload the decisions on its website, adding that the move would “help quell any disinformation and misinformation on the matter”.
“By sharing ROs’ decisions, the ECP will empower citizens to comprehend the reasons behind these decisions, and encourage informed opinions about the electoral process.

“This measure will not only reinforce the transparency of the electoral process but also serve as a safeguard to its credibility against the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation that often stems from incomplete information,” the group said in a press release.

It said the electoral watchdog needed to look into whether the ROs had complied with the provisions of the Elections Act 2017 regarding the acceptance or rejection of nominations and proceed against those officials who did not.