The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for the withdrawal of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the release of people it says have been arbitrarily detained, and the restoration of the provincial assembly. The HRCP KP emergency statement warns that emergency measures could undermine democratic institutions, restrict political activity and violate fundamental rights.
In a statement issued on Sunday, HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said the commission remained opposed to the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in the province.
What the HRCP KP emergency demand covers
The commission called for meaningful public participation in decisions concerning the province’s political future. It named the use of natural resources, including minerals, water and land, as an area where the public must have a say.
That demand links the political crisis to the province’s resources. Decisions taken while the assembly stands suspended, the commission argues, lack the public mandate that elected government provides.
The commission also condemned militancy and terrorism. It stressed that counterterrorism measures must comply with the law and should not lead to collective punishment.
Detentions at the centre of the row
The commission expressed concern over the detention of the province’s elected chief executive. It also raised the arrests of other elected representatives and political workers.
It referred to reports of the arrests of women workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab. The commission described these developments as part of a broader crackdown on political activity.
The statement does not name every detainee. Its point is wider: that detention without due process, whoever the target, weakens the legal basis of the emergency itself.
Why this follows the Kundi statement
The HRCP statement lands hours after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi confirmed on television that Sohail Afridi and Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati are under house arrest. Our report on Kundi’s confirmation of the house arrests sets out what he said, including his promise of an update on Monday.
Kundi had earlier called for cooperation between the Centre and the province, as covered in our report on his appeal for Centre-province cooperation. The HRCP position goes further than Kundi’s. Where the governor defends the emergency as a last option, the commission wants it lifted outright.
The commission has pressed the authorities on detention cases before. Our report on its demand for a probe into the Waseem Abbas case and our report on its minorities rights findings show the same pattern: a rights body using public statements to push cases that courts and governments have left unresolved.
What happens next
The first test comes on Monday, when Kundi has promised an update on Afridi’s position. That update will show whether the house arrests end, continue, or turn into formal charges.
The second test sits with the courts and with parliament, where the emergency itself remains contested. An HRCP statement does not lift an emergency on its own, but it adds a respected domestic voice to the opposition, and it frames the debate in rights terms rather than party terms.
For now, the commission has drawn its line clearly. Emergency rule, it says, cannot substitute for elected government, and counterterrorism cannot justify arbitrary detention.
Source reporting: The Express Tribune.
What has the HRCP demanded on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
It has demanded the withdrawal of the emergency and governor’s rule, the release of people it says are arbitrarily detained, and the restoration of the provincial assembly.
Who issued the HRCP statement?
HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt issued the statement on Sunday, saying the commission remained opposed to the emergency and governor’s rule.
Does the HRCP oppose counterterrorism action?
No. It condemned militancy and terrorism, but said counterterrorism measures must comply with the law and must not lead to collective punishment.
What detentions did the commission highlight?
It highlighted the detention of the province’s elected chief executive, the arrests of other elected representatives and political workers, and reports of arrests of women PTI workers in Punjab.
