Human Rights Commission of Pakistan – Report, 2014

Description

It is not easy to sum up a year that started with a series of faith-based assaults on religious minorities and came to an end with a massacre of young students that led to the highest death toll in a terrorist attack in the nation’s history. There were many other instances of ever more gruesome violence against the most vulnerable segments of society. However, the year 2014 did throw up the occasional ray of hope too. One of these was women’s active participation in political protests, and adoption of some laws aimed at making the women’s lot easier in the country. At least in some parts of the country, marriage of children younger than 18 years was outlawed. Balochistan also criminalised domestic violence. The provincial governments increased the minimum wage for unskilled workers, although the extent of the raise did not come up to workers’ expectations. The Peshawar school attack in December seemed to have created consensus against bands of thugs of all hues who had been exploiting the religious banner for ends both grand and petty. The government discovered some resolve to restore its writ in the tribal areas and launched military operations against extremist militants.

Download Now