Activists Condemn Pakistan for Human Rights Violations at UN Session

At a UN Human Rights Council session, activists denounced Pakistan for enforced disappearances, torturing dissenters, and extrajudicial killings. Led by Fazal Ur Rehman Afridi, the panel spotlighted ongoing abuses against Pashtun activists and Baloch minorities, calling for global attention to the violations of basic rights in Pakistan.

In a robust denunciation of human rights violations in Pakistan, several human rights defenders accused Islamabad of committing grave atrocities, including enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings, aimed at suppressing dissent. This condemnation emerged at an event during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, chaired by Fazal Ur Rehman Afridi of TUMUKU Tumuku Development Cultural Union.

The panel included notable figures such as Shunichi Fujiki of the International Career Support Association and Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement. Afridi highlighted the repression of Pashtun activists by Pakistani forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noting recent escalations in districts like Bajaur and Lakki Marwat, where peaceful protests faced severe crackdowns.

Adding to these accounts, Vermaut Andy underscored the plight of families affected by enforced disappearances, such as Ayesha, whose husband vanished without trace, reflecting a broader pattern affecting over 32,000 Pashtuns. Naseem Baloch detailed systemic oppression against the Baloch people, describing internment centres as 'black holes of injustice' where detainees are subjected to inhumane conditions.

(With inputs from agencies.)