September 26, 2025
By Danial Aziz
PESHAWAR
A fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed grave concern over the worsening human rights and security situation in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, warning that the writ of the state in the province—particularly in the merged districts—is collapsing at an alarming pace.
The delegation, led by HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, included co-chair Munizae Jahangir, treasurer and veteran journalist Husain Naqi, vice-chair Akbar Khan, academic and HRCP member Dr Saba Gul Khattak, and staff members Shahid Mehmood and Salman Farrukh. The mission visited the province from September 24 to 26, meeting civil society groups, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, displaced families, political leaders, law enforcement officials, and senior members of the provincial government, including the chief minister.
Local communities highlighted the growing nexus between militant violence, displacement, security operations, and the exploitation of natural resources under the proposed Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Act 2025. In many areas of the merged districts, residents said the writ of the state had eroded significantly, with militants reportedly extorting and harassing citizens, killing those who resisted, and restricting movement after sundown. Some reports suggested that police and other law enforcement agencies had virtually ceased operations in several of these districts.
The mission expressed particular alarm over the recent killings in Tirah, where more than 20 civilians—including women and children—were reportedly killed in an aerial bombardment. The HRCP called for a credible inquiry and accountability, stressing that provincial and federal authorities must stop shifting blame onto one another. “Inadequate compensation to victims’ families cannot substitute for state accountability and due process, which must be guaranteed,” the mission said.
The team also raised serious concerns about the continuing enforcement of the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Ordinance 2019, which legitimises internment centres and preventive detention. HRCP said this law violates Article 10 of Pakistan’s Constitution and international covenants ratified by the country. Weak judicial oversight and regulatory mechanisms, the mission warned, perpetuate the practice of enforced disappearances. While thousands of cases have been alleged, official figures remain far lower.
The mission also documented harassment of journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders, particularly those advocating against enforced disappearances. In some cases, the police were accused of aiding intelligence agencies in abducting individuals who later turned up in internment centres.
“This accusation is of grave concern and must be addressed by the government,” the HRCP said.
Meanwhile, the legal community voiced strong reservations about alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, warning that such measures risk creating a parallel justice system that lacks credibility and undermines the rule of law. Stakeholders also expressed fears that efforts were underway to reverse the merger of the former tribal districts into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—moves that HRCP warned would be “disastrous for the fundamental rights of women” in those areas.
Concluding its three-day visit, the HRCP mission held a press conference at the Khyber Press Club in Peshawar, where it reiterated its call for the state to restore security, uphold citizens’ constitutional rights, and ensure accountability for human rights violations.