New Delhi, Mar 5 (EFE).- Pakistan was on Tuesday added to the human rights watchlist of a global civil society alliance, with its civic space rated as “repressed.”
The CIVICUS Monitor’s second-lowest rating for Pakistan is attributed to declining civic freedoms, repression against the opposition, and media censorship, particularly during the recently held general elections.
The elections on Feb. 8 were marred by widespread rigging allegations, with the opposition facing restrictions and arrests, and internet and mobile phone services being suspended.
As authorities muzzled the media and censored coverage of opposition activities, the global civil society network, CIVICUS, included Pakistan on its watchlist of countries, alongside Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Senegal, and Venezuela.
The watchlist draws attention to countries experiencing a “serious decline in respect for civic space,” based on assessments by CIVICUS Monitor research findings.
“The lead up to the elections in Pakistan on 8 February 2024 was marred by a widespread clampdown on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association,” the network said in its report.
Hundreds of opposition supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, were detained during protests, with many charged under vague and overbroad laws.
Dozens of civilians were also tried in military courts in violation of international law, the network noted.
The nomination of national and provincial PTI leaders was rejected by the election commission, and Pakistani media were prohibited from reporting Khan’s speeches or rallies on TV.
Restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information also included the disruption of internet and mobile phone services.
“In the lead up to the Pakistan elections, we saw a systematic crackdown on civic freedoms,” Josef Benedict, Asia Pacific researcher for CIVICUS, said in a statement.
“These actions undermined the credibility of the elections and highlights the democratic decline in the country,” Benedict said.
The network noted that Pakistani authorities also sought to stifle dissent by targeting human rights defenders and activists.
It stated that the Baloch and Pashtun communities continued to face suppression and human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detention.
“Human rights defenders and activists remain at risk in Pakistan for speaking up or mobilizing to demand justice and accountability,” said Benedict.
Benedict urged the new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took oath for his second term on Monday, to adhere to international human rights obligations, take immediate steps to protect them and address the issues raised.
“The failure to do this will see a further deterioration of the civic space environment moving forward.”
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