61st Human Rights Day challenges us to curb extreme Human Rights abuses and improve governance - NCJP

Lahore: December 10, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

National Commission for Justice and Peace, a human rights body of Catholic Church in Pakistan expressed its deep concern on extremism and massive Human Rights abuses which claimed thousands of lives during this year.

In a joint statement by Chairperson of NCJP Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha and Peter Jacob, the Executive Secretary said that Human Rights situation in the country was no different than the previous years. It is instead a painful reminder that another year has passed in which religious minorities particularly Christian community had deprived of right to life owing to alleged blasphemy. For most of the Minorities Human Rights Day is commemorated under grim conditions.

Despite that When we look at the overall situation of human rights, over the years, a whole network of human rights instruments and mechanisms developed to ensure the primacy of human rights and to confront human rights violations wherever they occur. Human Rights activists sacrificed a lot in this struggle.

Even though our democratic government also through changes in legislation, regarding the status of women made attempts to improve the situation, the true test lies in their application in the everyday lives of Pakistani civilians, and their impact on the attitudes and values on both government agents and people. Legislature is of no value if it does not impact the underlying issues which make for these problems. This scenario reminded us of how far there is to go.

However, the human rights situation remained deplorable in Pakistan,According to a report, during the first 10 months of current year, 805 women were murdered, 4,720 were raped, 241 were gang raped, 66 were raped and then murdered, 1,145 were kidnapped and 110 were trafficked.

NCJP would like to remind the Government:

1. To repeal all laws that discriminate on the basis of religion and gender, including the blasphemy laws, anti-Ahmadi law, Hudood ordinances and Qisas and Diyat laws, 
2. Pass and enforce legislation to prevent false accusations of blasphemy
3. To process promptly to establish an independent National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan according to Paris Principles whose bill is still pending in the parliament.
4. To strengthen the protection of human rights and the rule of law by ratifying ICCPR and UNCAT, incorporating the ratified treaties into domestic legislation and implementing them in particular, ICCPR, ICESCR, CAT and its optional protocol

Peter Jacob
Executive Secretary
National Commission for Justice and Peace
Pakistan