The state of rule of law in Pakistan today is dismal to say the least. Even when laws protecting human rights exist, their poor implementation not only renders them ineffective, but also creates a sense of mistrust among the public. For the powerful, law is a privilege, but for the weak, it is a trap from which there is no escape. 

In Pakistan, law enforcement agencies are not only involved in custodial torture of the accused, but are also accused of having a role in several cases of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. No one is being held accountable for these actions.

According to the doctrine of the rule of law, law should be accessible and inexpensive to all citizens on the basis of fairness and equity, and justice should be dispensed without delay or excuse. None of these principles are being followed in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s justice system particularly fails marginalised groups. If you are from a low socioeconomic background or belong to a religious minority group, attaining justice is nearly impossible.

In 2021, World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index ranked Pakistan 130th, indicating that the country has one of the poorest judicial systems in the world. People’s lives, properties, and dignities are frequently violated, and the institutions that are supposed to implement the law are helpless before the perpetrators. 

Another important challenge facing Pakistan’s justice system is an overwhelming number of unresolved cases in the courts. Justice delayed, as they say, is justice denied. And as a result of such delays, people’s trust in the courts is eroding, shattering their confidence in the judicial system, which is why the feudal system involving jirga and panchayat (village councils) continues to run parallel to the formal justice system. 

Pakistan’s justice system particularly fails marginalised groups. If you are from a low socioeconomic background or belong to a religious minority group, attaining justice is nearly impossible. Moreover, women are discouraged from reporting crimes due to the misogynistic attitudes of the police, judges, and even lawyers and society as a whole.

Also concerning is the lack of awareness among people about the rights guaranteed to them under the Constitution. In rural areas, feudal lords have connections with the administration, police and the judiciary, and are therefore able to get away with crimes. Powerful individuals conveniently use their influence to evade the law.

The state must work towards ensuring supremacy of the law, which is the only way to put the country on the path of progress. The state and its institutions should be devoted to the people of Pakistan and not to a bunch of influential individuals. 

The state must abolish the feudal system while undertaking land reforms, particularly in Sindh and Balochistan, to ensure equitable distribution of wealth and an end to exploitation. Pakistan also needs provincial autonomy, investment in social services and industry, free scientific education, equitable opportunities, and the inclusion of youth, peasants, researchers, and women in policymaking. Such efforts can only be accomplished through structural reforms.

Jalila Haider

The writer is a social and political activist, working as a legal practitioner in Balochistan for the last ten years. She has a Masters in International Human Rights Law from the University of Sussex, UK.

The post Why Is Rule Of Law Still A Distant Dream In Pakistan? appeared first on Dissent Today.

Dyal Singh was gunned down in the Garhi Ata Mohammad area on the outskirts of Peshawar. The 35-year-old Sikh shopkeeper was killed when an unidentified motorcyclist opened indiscriminate fire on him.

The assailant parked his motorcycle outside Singh’s shop and fired two shots from a pistol, killing Dyal on the spot.

A day later, a member of the Christian community, Kashif Masih, was shot dead in Banaras Abad Academy Town.  Armed men opened fire on him while he was on his way home.

According to Voicepk.net, IS-K claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Earlier, a Hindu doctor was shot dead in Karachi’s Garden area after his vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants, in what has been described by the police as a case of targeted killing.

Dr Beerbal Ginani recently retired as Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) medical and health services director.

Earlier, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) issued the Human Rights Observer 2023, an annual fact sheet, detailing abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan. The reported covered five key issues impacting religious minorities, including discrimination in the education system, the prevalence of forced faith conversions, abuse of blasphemy laws, the establishment of the National Commission for Minorities, and jail remissions for minority prisoners.

The report noted an increase in the content against minorities in textbooks and curricula.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Murder Of Christian, Sikh Men In Peshawar appeared first on Dissent Today.

The 35-year-old Sikh shopkeeper, Dyal Singh, was killed when an unidentified motorcyclist opened indiscriminate fire on him.

The assailant parked his motorcycle outside Singh’s shop and fired two shots from a pistol, killing Dyal on the spot.

On Thursday, a Hindu doctor was shot dead in Karachi’s Garden area after his vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants, in what has been described by the police as a case of targeted killing.

Dr Beerbal Ginani recently retired as Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) medical and health services director.

The 62-year-old was gunned down by armed assailants on a motorcycle near the Lyari Expressway junction.

Earlier, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) issued the Human Rights Observer 2023, an annual fact sheet, detailing abuses against religious minorities in Pakistan. The reported covered five key issues impacting religious minorities, including discrimination in the education system, the prevalence of forced faith conversions, abuse of blasphemy laws, the establishment of the National Commission for Minorities and jail remissions for minority prisoners.

The report noted an increase in the content against minorities in textbooks and curriculum.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Sikh Shopkeeper Gunned Down In Peshawar appeared first on Dissent Today.

Dr Beerbal Ginani had recently retired as Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) medical and health services director.

The 62-year-old was gunned down by armed assailants on a motorcycle near the Lyari Expressway junction.

According to police, the incident appeared to be a targeted killing, Dawn reported.

The doctor sustained two bullet injuries to the head, while his assistant was also injured in the attack.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has demanded a thorough investigation into the murder while expressing alarm over the attack.

Earlier this month, a 60-year-old Hindu doctor was killed by his driver at his residence in Citizen Colony, Hyderabad.

Driver Hanif Leghari mudered Dr Dharam Dev Rathi and then fled the scene.

The 60-year-old was a dermatologist by profession and had retired from the health department.

The driver was arrested over a week later.

Hindu community in Pakistan faces growing marginalisation with the forced conversion of Hindu girls to Islam a severe issue.

The United Nations had also urged Pakistan to curtail the practice of forced marriages of young girls from religious minorities to Muslim men. The United Nations had also called on Pakistani authorities to adopt and implement legislation in this regard.

In a statement, the UN had “expressed alarm” that young girls from religious minorities are kidnapped, trafficked, forcibly converted to Islam, and forced to marry men. The statement called on Pakistani authorities to curb this practice and uphold international human rights laws.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Hindu Doctor Shot Dead In Karachi appeared first on Dissent Today.

Since the start of this year, as many as five worship places of the persecuted religious community have come under attack. In one such incident, police in Wazirabad destroyed the minarets of a worship place.

According to the details, the operation against the worship place was conducted by officials from the Counter Terrorism Department, and Gujrat police officials.

A representative from the Ahmadi press section said the community members tried to stop officials from razing the minarets, stating that the worship place was 70 years old. However, the officials threatened the members with a First Information Report (FIR) in case of non-compliance.

Declared non-Muslims in Pakistan, the Ahmadis face social and legal discrimination with growing incidents of attacks on their worship places, as well as desecration of their graves reported this year.

Earlier, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) found that civil administrations in Gujranwala and Wazirabad were directly involved in the attacks targeting the Ahmadi community’s worship places in these cities.

An HRCP-led fact-finding mission pointed out that there is evidence suggesting the civil administration in Gujranwala and Wazirabad were directly involved in destroying the minarets of Ahmadi worship places in December 2022 and January 2023.

The administration claimed they had done so to circumvent the threat of mob violence as objections were raised by members of a local political-religious outfit against the Ahmadi worship places.

However, the report stated, the way local administration handled the issue “fostered growing hostility towards the Ahmadiyya community and increased the vulnerability of Ahmadi residents in the area”.

“While the mission understands that the local bureaucracy, police, and judiciary were successfully intimidated by a religious group, their response displays a pitiful inability to manage law and order while respecting the fundamental rights of the Ahmadiyya community,” the report added.

The HRCP also raised concerns over the district administration’s perception that this kind of persecution is be backed up by law and the Constitution.

The mission also “underscored an alarming uptick in the persecution of members of the Ahmadiyya community in Gujranwala and surrounding areas—specifically, the desecration of their graves, the destruction of minarets at Ahmadi sites of worship and first information reports (FIRs) filed against community members for carrying out ritual animal sacrifice on Eid”.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Police Raze Minarets Of Ahmadi Worship Place In Gujrat appeared first on Dissent Today.

Suspect Mohammad Rashid allegedly abducted 15-year-old Ramila, alias Sara, from Shershah area. The suspect then forcefully converted the underage girl and married her.

According to Dawn, the girl told the magistrate that she wanted to go with her parents out of her free will during the court proceedings.

In an earlier hearing, the minor girl had said that she had married the suspect out of her own free will. However, the court sent her to a shelter home and ordered a medical examination. After the medical examination, the girl’s age was determined to be 15 years old.

The forced conversion of underage Hindu girls to Islam in Sindh is a severe issue. Human rights groups have continuously urged the government authorities to introduce laws regarding forced conversations.

Earlier, the United Nations had also urged Pakistan to curtail the practice of forced marriages of young girls from religious minorities to Muslim men. The United Nations had also called on Pakistani authorities to adopt and implement legislation in this regard.

In a statement, the UN had “expressed alarm” that young girls from religious minorities are kidnapped, trafficked, forcibly converted to Islam, and forced to marry men. The statement called on Pakistani authorities to curb this practice and uphold international human rights law.

Moreover, according to a recent report by the United States Institute of Peace, Pakistan has witnessed a surge in extremism and intolerance of diversity and dissent as the state-sanctioned laws and conservative narratives facilitate religious extremist elements and support their narrative, leaving little space for religious inclusion.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Karachi Court Returns Abducted Minor Hindu Girl To Parents appeared first on Dissent Today.

Driver Hanif Leghari mudered Dr Dharam Dev Rathi and then fled the scene.

The 60-year-old was a dermatologist by profession and had retired from the health department.

The incident comes amid a rise in attacks against Hindu students for celebrating Holi.

Earlier, the Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) activists attacked Hindu students at Punjab and Karachi universities for holding events to celebrate Holi.

At least 15 students as the Jamiat attacked Hindu students at Punjab University.

The students had taken permission from the university administration prior to holding the event. However, the IJT activists carrying guns and batons attacked the gathering of students when they were celebrating Holi.

In another incident, the Jamiat attacked Hindu students at Karachi University for holding an event to celebrate Holi, which was organised by the Sindhi department at Karachi University.

However, Punjab University has denied Jamiat’s involvement, while Karachi University denied that any such incident had occurred on campus.

Minorities in Pakistan face persecution and marginalisation with the forced conversion of underage Hindu girls to Islam a severe issue. Human rights groups have continuously urged the government authorities to introduce laws regarding forced conversations.

Earlier, the United Nations had also urged Pakistan to curtail the practice of forced marriages of young girls from religious minorities to Muslim men. The United Nations had also called on Pakistani authorities to adopt and implement legislation in this regard.

In a statement, the UN had “expressed alarm” that young girls from religious minorities are kidnapped, trafficked, forcibly converted to Islam, and forced to marry men. The statement called on Pakistani authorities to curb this practice and uphold international human rights laws.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Hindu Doctor Killed At His Residence In Hyderabad  appeared first on Dissent Today.

ننکانہ صاحب میں مشتعل ہجوم کا تھانے پر حملہ۔ توہین مذہب کے ملزم کو قتل کر کے جلا دیا گیا#Punjab #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/tXD768pJtJ

— Pakistan24 (@Pakistan24Tv) February 11, 2023

A mob lynched a person, who was arrested by police on #blasphemy charges, after attacking a police station in Nankana Sahab, Punjab, #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/qPR2g72Pqs

— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) February 11, 2023

Later in the day, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar took notice of the incident and suspended Nankana Sahib DSP and SHO for failing to prevent the incident.
Human rights activists have long decried Pakistan’s blasphemy law for targeting minorities and using the law for settling personal scores.
Recently, the National Assembly passed amendments to the blasphemy law that suggests an increased punishment for disrespecting revered personalities in Islam.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Mob Attacks Police Station In Nankana Sahib, Kills Man Accused Of Blasphemy appeared first on Dissent Today.

According to media reports, the 19-year-old suffered 20 per cent burns in the attack.

The family of the girl had previously registered a police complaint against the attacker, who is their neighbour, for harassing the girl and forcing her into marriage.

The police arrested the man after the incident.

Pakistan often ranks among the worst countries for women and has a history of discrimination against women from religious minorities. The incidents of forced conversions of underage Hindu girls and subsequent marriages are common in Sindh.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Man Throws Acid On Christian Woman Over Marriage Refusal, Conversion To Islam In Karachi appeared first on Dissent Today.

The National Assembly had passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill aimed at increasing punishment for disrespect of Ummahatul Momineen, Ahl-e-Bait, Khulfa-e-Rashideen and Sahaba-e-Kiram in the presence of just 15 MNAs.

In a letter to the PM, the human rights minister has said the bill was approved without “fulfilling the norms of parliamentary proceedings”. He also said the amendments were made to “please a specific group”.

The bill was moved by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami. The federal minister added the lower house approved the bill without fulfilling constitutional requirements like quorum and a meaningful debate by standing committees.

The amendments made in the bill has enhanced the minimum punishment for those who insult the sacred personalities from three to 10 years along with a fine of Rs1 million.

According to the amendment, the offence is non-bailable.

News Desk

dissenttoday.net

The post Minister Urges PM To Review Amendments In Blasphemy Law, Says ‘State Under Obligation To Protect Minorities’ appeared first on Dissent Today.