Every year on December 10, Human Rights Day is observed to honour the United Nations General Assembly’s ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Pakistan is a country with a population of over 200 million people and a history of human rights abuses. Over the years, it has seen a range of human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly. However, the situation is changing now. There is greater awareness and activism in the country, which has led to greater accountability and protection for citizens.
The UNGA Declaration was the first international document outlining the fundamental human rights that all people should enjoy, regardless of their race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or another status. Human Rights Day is an opportunity to remember the importance of human rights and to recognize the ongoing efforts to secure them for all people. Events are held around the world to raise awareness of the importance of human rights and to celebrate the progress that has been made in expanding and protecting these rights.
Human rights are important because they provide a basic level of protection for all people. They ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity, regardless of race, gender, or economic status. They provide a platform for individuals to demand justice and freedom from oppression, and they ensure that people have the right to live in security, safety, and freedom. Human rights are essential to living in a peaceful and prosperous society. In recent times, they have become more important than ever due to increasing problems.
The government of Pakistan has taken steps to improve the country’s human rights record, including ratifying several international human rights instruments, establishing the National Commission for Human Rights in 2004, and forming the Ministry of Human Rights in 2017. Despite these efforts, Pakistan continues to face significant challenges in protecting human rights, particularly the rights of religious minorities, women, and children. Human rights groups have time and again expressed concern about the abuses committed by security forces, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Additionally, Pakistan has faced criticism for its failure to investigate and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his support for human rights and Quaid’s vision of equality and justice for all in the country. He also talked about the gross violations of human rights in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir by India. When it comes to human rights, Pakistan always puts forward the agenda of bringing justice to the Kashmiri brethren, as they have suffered long and hard.
This Human Rights Day, it is imperative for the world community to come forward and work towards eradicating human rights violations from all over the world, especially in Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iran, and others alike. With greater awareness and activism, people are working towards having their rights actually implemented. However, without support from respective governments and human rights watchdogs and agencies, there is only so much people can do. Therefore, fulfilling human rights should be on the agenda of every government.
