July 23, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over what it describes as deepening political dysfunction and escalating human rights violations in Punjab.
At a press conference in Lahore on July 22, the commission launched its annual State of Human Rights in 2024 report, painting a stark picture of governance failures and social injustices across the province.
While acknowledging a rise in voter registration and total ballots cast during the 2024 general elections, HRCP noted that overall voter turnout had declined. “Women’s representation in the assemblies more than doubled, which is a positive development,” said the HRCP report, “but that progress is undercut by the state of affairs in the Punjab Assembly, which was dominated by chaos and the marginalisation of opposition voices.”
According to the report, the assembly was repeatedly disrupted, with instances of women MPAs walking out over inappropriate gestures. Legal battles also marred the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities.
HRCP criticised the controversial Punjab Defamation Act 2024, passed in haste in June, calling it an assault on free expression. “This law was rammed through without adequate debate and now faces constitutional challenges in the Lahore High Court,” Butt said. The commission also condemned road closures imposed by Punjab authorities to block PTI protests in Islamabad, saying they infringed on the right to movement for political workers and ordinary citizens alike.
Religious minorities continued to face violence and discrimination, HRCP reported. The lynching of a Christian man in Sargodha over alleged blasphemy drew particular alarm. The Ahmadiyya community, citing systematic persecution and security fears, withdrew from the electoral process entirely.
The report highlighted a surge in child abuse and violence. Between January and June 2024, Punjab accounted for 78 percent of the 1,630 reported child abuse cases nationwide. In total, the province recorded over 2,500 cases of sexual abuse, more than 2,100 kidnappings, and hundreds of incidents involving trafficking and physical abuse. The brutal death of 11-year-old domestic worker Ayesha in Faisalabad underscored the risks faced by underage children employed in private homes.
Gender-based violence also remained rampant. The report cited cases of rape involving women with mental disabilities, fatal domestic abuse, and ongoing honour killings. Commenting on an alleged rape at a private college in Lahore, the HRCP noted that “no conclusive evidence has emerged to support the claim,” but reiterated concerns over how such cases are handled by institutions and law enforcement.
While the Lahore High Court recently struck down gender-based distinctions in the Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 as unconstitutional, HRCP lamented the lack of wider legislative reform to protect children and women.
Workers’ rights and environmental safety were also neglected, the report found. Sanitation workers continued to endure dangerous conditions, and the government failed to tackle Punjab’s toxic air quality. In November, Lahore and Multan registered some of the worst smog levels ever recorded.
In a particularly grim note, the report drew attention to the killings of nine Punjabi citizens on the Quetta-Taftan highway and seven labourers in Panjgur, Balochistan, in what HRCP termed suspected militant attacks.“The state’s failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens is not just a policy failure—it’s a human tragedy,” said the HRCP report. “From the legislature to the streets, rights are being trampled, and accountability remains elusive.”
The news conference was addressed by HRCP Punjab Vice Chair Raja Ashraf and senior Council members including former HRCP chairperson Hina Jillani.