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PAKISTAN

Amnesty International takes no position on issues of sovereignty or territorial
disputes. Borders on this map are based on UN Geospatial data. © Amnesty
International
Back to Pakistan


PAKISTAN 2023

Political volatility increased and authorities continued their assault on
dissenting voices, political opposition and people critical of the government
and the military establishment. Human rights violations such as enforced
disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, excessive restrictions on
protests and violence against religious minorities continued unabated with
little or no justice for victims. Transgender people faced an onslaught of
violence, harassment and discrimination following a vicious disinformation
campaign and the targeting of legislation that protects their rights. Pakistan
battled increased incidents of extreme weather and natural disasters due to
climate change.


BACKGROUND

The deepening economic crisis was marked by skyrocketing inflation which reached
29.66% in December, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Hikes to
cost of living and fuel prices severely impacted the population amid rising
political tensions.

On 14 August, caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar took over ahead of
general elections that constitutionally are to be held within 90 days of a
caretaker government being appointed. However, the Election Commission of
Pakistan sought a longer timeline to update the delimitation of constituencies,
according to new census results. In November, after intervention by the Supreme
Court, the election date was set for 8 February 2024.


FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY

Hours before the start of the annual march by Aurat March, the country’s largest
women’s movement, on 8 March, International Women’s Day, and a rally by the
opposition political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Punjab Home
Department issued a notification banning “all kinds of protests, demonstrations
and sit-ins” for the following seven days in Lahore district. The blanket ban
was deemed unlawful since the authorities failed to adequately demonstrate its
necessity, using vague reasoning such as the “overall security situation”.1

The prohibition on protests was imposed under section 144 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure (a colonial-era law from 1898), which has been used
excessively by district administrations to restrict gatherings. The Lahore
district administration had refused permission for the Aurat March in Lahore
several days earlier on 3 March, citing “controversial cards and banners for
awareness of women’s rights” among the justifications. The decision was
successfully appealed at the Lahore High Court and permission was granted before
the blanket ban was reimposed on the morning of the march.

On 8 March, peaceful protesters at the Aurat March in the capital, Islamabad,
were violently dispersed by police, and barbed wire and containers were used to
block the protest site. Women and khawajasira (transgender) people were injured
during the heavy-handed response. One person was killed at the PTI rally.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on 9 May in connection with
corruption charges. On the same day, his supporters came out in large numbers
nationwide to protest his arrest. Some groups forcibly entered the military
headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi and others set fire to a military
commander’s official residence in Lahore. While there were pockets of violence
from protesters, they were met with unlawful use of force by military and
police. According to media reports, at least eight people were killed and
hundreds injured.

In December, police baton-charged, employed tear gas and water cannons and
arrested over 200 peaceful protesters of the Baloch Long March, including many
women, children and elderly people, in Islamabad. The protesters were
subsequently released.


ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS

Authorities used the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and the
vaguely-worded Anti-Terrorism Act to crack down on political opposition. In May,
authorities conducted mass arrests and arbitrary detentions of over 4,000
people, including political leaders, alleged to have committed crimes during the
9 May protests. Authorities stated they had used geo-fencing, social media
surveillance and CCTV to identify alleged perpetrators.

A total of 103 civilians charged in connection with the 9 May protests were sent
to trial by military courts in contravention of their right to a fair trial and
obligations under the ICCPR. Although cases challenging the constitutionality of
military courts were pending at the Supreme Court, the trials continued. The
National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) found failures in arrest proceedings
and prison standards. As of 9 June, 295 cases were registered in Punjab, the
province with the most arrests; 52 were under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Many
protesters, including prominent PTI supporter Khadija Shah who was detained for
over seven months, faced re-arrests despite being granted bail. Many PTI leaders
were reportedly forced to resign from the party.

Human rights lawyer Jibran Nasir was briefly abducted on 1 June. On 20 August,
lawyer and human rights defender Imaan Mazari, as well as Ali Wazir, a leader of
the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), and other PTM activists, were arrested on
allegations of sedition, damaging public property and obstructing government
officials. Their arrests came after their participation in the PTM jalsa, or
public rally, in Islamabad on 18 August, and were in violation of their right to
freedom of assembly, association and expression. Imaan Mazari’s arrest was
carried out in a manner that contravened due process. Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir
were released on bail on 28 August but were promptly re-arrested the same day on
terrorism charges. Both were released on bail the following month. Ali Wazir was
re-arrested on 14 November over allegations related to making speeches against
state institutions, and then was released after eight days. PTM leader Manzoor
Pashteen was arrested on 4 December after speaking at a sit-in against passport
and visa requirements at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman, Balochistan.
He remained in custody at the end of the year.


FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

On 4 February, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked Wikipedia
due to the platform’s refusal to take down “sacrilegious content”. The ban was
lifted two days later.

On 5 March, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) placed a
blanket ban on the broadcast of speeches by Imran Khan and suspended the
transmission of ARY TV, a private news network. PEMRA accused Imran Khan of
attacking state institutions and promoting hatred. From 9 May, following Imran
Khan’s arrest, the PTA imposed an “indefinite” ban on mobile internet and
blocked major social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Although the authorities claimed to have restored mobile internet on 12 May,
people continued to experience difficulties in accessing social media sites. In
December, social media access was blocked for hours across the country during
the PTI’s “virtual” rally.

Prior to the caretaker government being appointed in August, Parliament passed
at least six laws and amendments that sought to restrict freedom of expression
and civic space, including the space for parliamentary debate and dissent.

On 15 August, President Arif Alvi signed into law the vaguely-worded PEMRA
(Amendment) Bill 2023. The NCHR and media expressed concerns that it could be
used to further restrict the right to freedom of expression.


WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ RIGHTS

Violence against women and girls continued to be endemic, with access to justice
remaining out of reach for many. Despite the government’s pledge during its
fourth UPR review to enact the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection)
Bill 2021, it had yet to make any concrete efforts to do so.

On 16 August, a murder case was filed in Hyderabad following the death of a
nine-year-old girl employed as a domestic worker. Videos of the girl at her
employers’ house bearing signs of physical abuse were made public and the
postmortem report showed that she had been raped and assaulted. In July, a
15-year-old girl employed as a domestic worker was hospitalized with signs of
physical abuse, neglect and malnutrition. In November a woman died in a
so-called “honour” killing in Kohistan on the orders of a jirga (tribal
council).2


ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES

As in previous years, enforced disappearances of journalists, human rights
defenders and critics of the government and military establishment were carried
out by authorities with impunity. Families continued to publicly campaign for
truth and justice for their missing loved ones.

A spate of disappearances of government critics followed the violent protests of
9 May. They included YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan, who disappeared on 11 May,3 and
political leaders such as Usman Dar. Both men reappeared after four months and
one month respectively without being charged. No one was held accountable for
their or others’ disappearances.

Throughout the year there were many reports of disappearances in the province of
Balochistan and of Baloch students in other parts of the country. Two Baloch
students, Salim Baloch and Ikram Naeem, disappeared on 4 July and prominent
Baloch journalist Abid Mir disappeared on 8 March. Ikram Naeem and Abid Mir were
released three and five days after their disappearance respectively, and Salim
Baloch was released after more than a month. The safety and whereabouts of many
other Baloch people, including students, remained unknown at the end of the
year. There were also reports of extrajudicial killings, including that of
Balach Mola Bakhsh by the Counterterrorism Department in November.


RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Climate change continued to take an immense toll on Pakistan, despite
historically its small contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.4 The country
had seen some of the highest temperatures in the world in recent years and the
WHO predicted that heatwaves would intensify and increase in frequency.

Research by Amnesty International found that climate-induced heatwaves affected
the health of people in the cities of Jacobabad and Lahore in ways that included
heatstroke, fatigue, breathing difficulties and fever. Those living in poverty
or working in the informal sector with limited or no access to coping measures
were particularly affected. Robust social protections were not included in
heatwave and disaster management plans, and many people were not in a position
to follow public health advice such as reducing working hours and keeping homes
cool.

According to a report by the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, Lahore
consistently was ranked as one of the most air polluted cities in the world,
impacting people’s rights to life, health and healthy environment.


LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS

Transgender (khawajasara) and gender diverse people were subjected to increased
incidents of violence, harassment, intimidation and murder.5 Political and
Islamist groups led a dangerous disinformation campaign against the Protection
of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018, which provides legal
recognition to transgender people based on self-determination and protects them
from discrimination based on their real or perceived gender identity. In April,
the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights confirmed the proposal of a new
Bill to repeal and replace the Transgender Persons Act 2018 to “attain
consistency with the injunctions of Islam”. The proposed Bill removes the
provision that allows for self-identification without undergoing a medical
examination, replaces the word “transgender” with “intersex”, and criminalizes
the provision of gender-affirming healthcare.

The Federal Shariat Court later set aside some provisions of the Act relating to
gender identity, the right to self-perceived gender identity and the right of
inheritance for transgender people, stating that the provisions were
“un-Islamic”. This verdict was challenged before the Supreme Court.


REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS

Many Afghan nationals fled to Pakistan following the Taliban takeover of
Afghanistan in 2021. Afghan refugees in Pakistan were subsequently subjected to
waves of arbitrary arrests, detentions and harassment by authorities, including
the threat of deportation.6 In October the government announced a crackdown on
“illegal immigrants” and imposed a 30-day deadline to leave the country. From
September until the end of the year, more than 490,891 Afghan refugees across
Pakistan were deported. Harassment, discrimination, arrests and arbitrary
detention of refugees across the country intensified following the announcement
of the deadline. Detainees held in detention centres set up across the country
were denied legal safeguards, access to legal counsel or communications with
family members.


FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF

Religious minorities continued to be subjected to violence and harassment. Vague
and draconian blasphemy laws were routinely used to target minorities and
allowed extremist groups to operate with impunity.

A man in Nankana Sahib accused of desecrating the Qur’an was dragged out of a
police station by a vigilante mob in February and beaten to death. On 7 August a
teacher accused of blasphemy in Turbat was shot and killed. On 16 August, after
blasphemy allegations were made against two Christian residents of Jaranwala, a
city in the district of Faisalabad, vigilante mobs attacked at least 24 church
buildings and at least 80 Christian houses. Media reports stated that over 100
people were arrested in connection with the violence and 21 First Information
Reports to initiate legal processes had been filed; police claimed trials will
start in early 2024. Ahmadi places of worship and grave sites continued to be
desecrated with no accountability or justice. On 19 January and 2 February two
Ahmadi mosques in the Martin Quarters area of Karachi were attacked by groups of
men. On 25 July, an Ahmadi mosque in the Shah Faisal Colony of Karachi was
attacked and anti-Ahmadi graffiti was sprayed on the premises. Similarly in
August, a media report stated that eight Ahmadi Muslims were arrested for
allegedly “preaching their beliefs” in Lahore. The NCHR reported at least 34
incidents where religious sites of Ahmadi Muslims were attacked between January
and September. A community spokesperson told the media that over a span of two
weeks in September, 74 Ahmadi graves were vandalized in the city of Daska,
Punjab province. In several areas of Punjab, Ahmadi Muslims were prevented from
carrying out the ritual animal sacrifice on Eid ul Adha, a religiously
significant day for Muslims.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 1. “Pakistan: Blanket ban on protests in Lahore must be lifted immediately”, 8
    March
 2. “Pakistan: Authorities must end impunity of tribal councils as so-called
    ‘honour killings’ continue unabated”, 30 November
 3. “Pakistan: YouTuber and TV anchor forcibly disappeared: Imran Riaz Khan” 23
    June
 4. “Pakistan: A burning emergency – extreme heat and the right to health”, 4
    June
 5. “Pakistan: Reject proposed rollbacks on the proposed Transgender Persons
    Act”, 17 May
 6. “Pakistan: Government must not deport Afghan Refugees” 4 October


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