Judicial independence under threat | The Express Tribune

LAHORE:

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has warned that judicial independence, civic freedoms and the safety of vulnerable groups are increasingly under siege, urging the state to adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward impunity and political or administrative mafias eroding constitutional governance.

In a statement issued after the conclusion of its 39th annual general meeting, the HRCP general body cautioned that the recently passed 27th Constitutional Amendment “undermines judicial independence by expanding executive control over matters that should remain free from executive interference”. The commission said that the amendment “further weakens essential checks and balances at a time when public trust in state institutions is fragile”.

HRCP added that “lifetime immunity for holders of public office has concentrated unchecked power in the hands of a few, eroding parliamentary supremacy,” stressing that empowered, elected local governments remain vital for deepening democracy and citizen participation.

The rights body also called for rights-respecting security measures in conflict-affected regions.

“Efforts to curb militancy in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan must protect fundamental freedoms and the right to dissent,” it said, warning that “blanket internet shutdowns in Balochistan and other parts of the country have disrupted education, livelihoods, and democratic participation and must end immediately”.

It urged federal and provincial authorities to “conduct impartial investigations into abuses by state actors,” curb enforced disappearances, abolish interment centres without due process and halt the misuse of Schedule 4 “to muzzle dissent”.

The commission expressed particular concern over “ongoing harassment, detention, and forced repatriation of Afghan refugees,” many of whom face “credible threats of persecution, family separation, and severe humanitarian distress”.

HRCP demanded suspension of deportations, due process protections, and ratification of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. It also called for safeguarding the right to citizenship by birth and naturalisation.

Raising alarm over growing impunity around custodial abuse, the statement said: “Custodial torture and extrajudicial killings, particularly involving CCD and CTD personnel, demand urgent independent inquiries and accountability. Such violations perpetuate impunity and threaten citizens’ right to life and dignity”.

“Religious minorities, especially Ahmadis, continue to face mob violence, attacks on worship sites, and desecration of graves,” HRCP noted.