By Ms Sonam Mahajan
On Human Rights Day, as nations worldwide reflect on their commitments to universal human rights, Pakistan once again performed its ritual of signing human rights treaties. A signatory to seven core UN human rights agreements, Pakistan presents itself as a defender of rights on the global stage. Yet, beneath these ceremonial gestures, the reality at home paints a far grimmer picture.
In practice, Pakistan’s military remains the chief violator of the very rights it claims to uphold. For millions of its citizens—particularly in the Pashtun and Baloch regions—the state’s actions are a constant reminder of the gap between Pakistan’s international commitments and its domestic realities.
The Pashtun community, especially, has borne the brunt of state repression. Since 2001, thousands have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, with little to no accountability or justice. Leaders of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), such as Ali Wazir and Manzoor Pashteen, have been repeatedly detained. By October 2024, the Pakistani government took the unprecedented step of banning the entire PTM under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a move that has deepened tensions between the state and ethnic minorities.
In the southwestern province of Balochistan, the situation is equally dire. Enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and widespread crackdowns on activists continue unabated. Dr. Mahrang Baloch, a prominent women’s rights activist, is one of many who have faced intimidation and violence. Despite mounting evidence of these human rights abuses, the Pakistani state has remained largely silent, failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
The treatment of refugees in Pakistan has also come under growing scrutiny. Between late 2023 and early 2025, over 844,000 Afghan refugees were expelled from the country. Many of these refugees were women and children, some of whom had been in Pakistan for decades. Even those who were legally registered were not spared, facing harassment and forced repatriation to an unstable Afghanistan.
Transgender individuals in Pakistan have faced brutal violence, with dozens killed in 2024 alone. The country rolled back self-identification rights for transgender citizens in 2023, further eroding their already limited protections. The transgender community, which had previously gained some legal recognition and protection, now faces increasing vulnerability in a society where their basic rights are denied.
Women and children, too, remain grossly unprotected. Honor killings continue to plague the country, while more than 26 million children are out of school—one of the highest numbers globally. Pakistan ranks last in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, a stark reflection of the pervasive gender inequality that hinders the country’s progress.
Religious minorities also face significant persecution. Blasphemy laws remain a powerful tool for silencing dissent, with religious mobs targeting individuals accused of blasphemy. Forced conversions of religious minorities, especially Hindus and Christians, are reportedly on the rise, with little intervention from the authorities.
Political dissenters and journalists continue to face increasing repression. In 2024, the military’s influence over the media has grown, with journalists frequently detained or forced into self-censorship. Political workers and activists have been subjected to military trials and criminalization, while dissent is increasingly equated with treason.
Human Rights Day, therefore, serves as a painful reminder that Pakistan’s democratic aspirations remain stifled by a security state that actively subverts the rights it claims to defend. Rather than a democracy struggling with capacity, Pakistan under its current leadership is a nation where human rights are systematically undermined, often by design. The gap between the country’s international obligations and the lived experiences of its citizens has never been more evident. Until real change occurs, Pakistan’s human rights record will remain a sobering contradiction of its promises.
