Members of Pakistan’s civil society, including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, have vehemently refuted the government’s accusations against the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), a Catholic rights organisation with headquarters in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.
Through activism and research, the group has been advancing the rights of religious minorities.
In July, the Pakistani government denounced the CSJ for “alleged anti-state propaganda” by submitting a human rights report for universal periodic review to the UN Human Rights Council (UPR).
In Geneva, Switzerland, in January and February of 2023, Pakistan will be subject to its fourth review.
On August 21, a news item claiming that the CSJ report is unfounded and against Pakistan’s interests was published in the widely read national daily Daily Jang in the Urdu language.
The Punjab provincial administration has been instructed by the interior ministry to take action against the group.
Peter Jacob, the leader of the CSJ, refuted the accusations and said that the study accurately depicted Pakistan’s actual situation with regard to religious freedom.
According to Jacob, a lay Catholic and human rights advocate, this trend demonstrates the patron of state’s attitude toward civil society.
In the past, it has not been simple to advocate for human rights in the nation, but in recent years, things have become more challenging as civil society groups have come under increasing pressure.
We haven’t stopped working, and the government hasn’t given us any notice yet, but if they try to pressure us, Jacob replied, “We’ll utilise our legal rights.”
Nine human rights groups in Pakistan, including the National Commission of Justice and Peace of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, supported the CSJ report.
The study addressed problems such as blasphemy laws, forced conversion, biased school curricula, and the slow creation of a national commission for minorities and provided the government with specific and practical suggestions.
Civil society groups have backed the CSJ wholeheartedly. The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights (JACPR), a significant coalition of 37 civil society groups, said in a statement on August 22 that the topics included in the CSJ report had received significant attention from the country’s courts, legislative authorities, and media.
According to the JACPR, the government might positively take into account these suggestions in order to address the persistent human rights problems.
In order to react to the concerns presented or even take action to remedy them in order to get credit at the UPR session the following year, the government is required to submit its own report for the UPR by the end of October.
Irfan Mufti, chairperson of JACPR, asserts that if episodes of violence committed in the name of religion persist, the government would be held accountable in all appropriate venues.
“We further underline that active involvement by civil society groups enhances perceptions of Pakistan and contributes to the improvement of living circumstances for its citizens.
Living in denial, on the other hand, would prevent these old problems from being resolved, the Mufti stated.