Human Rights In Pakistan Research Articles

The Role of Judicial Activism in the Enforcement of Human Rights in Pakistan and its Impacts on Governance in Pakistan

This study examines how judicial activism impacts governance in Pakistan after the lawyer's movement with a focus on its effect on human rights, the rule of law, and accountability. The study uses mixed techniques to examine Supreme Court decisions and interventions that demonstrate the judiciary's role in protecting civil liberties and checking executive powers. Apex Court's activism on extrajudicial killings forced disappearances, and gender discrimination has advanced human rights, according to the findings. The research also shows how the judiciary has strengthened the rule of law by upholding and enforcing legal principles fairly, boosting public faith in legal institutions. The research also notes that alleged judicial overreach has caused problems between the legislative and executive branches due to the courts' wide interpretations of their authority. This detailed analysis highlights the delicate balance between judicial interventions and democratic government.

The Interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights: How are moral education and human rights related?

Purpose: ‘Moral Education’ is a major field in the study of education, characterized as a systematic process that provides a structure of meaningful activities for engaging young individuals to help them acquire a set of beliefs that guide their intentions and attitudes towards others and their environment / society in terms of outlook and morality. It focuses on the prevalent norms, values, and virtues which prompt individuals to reflect and act according to their axiological responsibilities. ‘Human Rights’ are those inherent moral claims of all human beings without which they cannot live as human beings. After the formation of the UN in 1945 and the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1948, they revolved around the ideas of Freedom, Equality, Justice, Human Dignity, Inalienability, Indivisibility, and Universality. Now they hold prime consideration in Education as well. This study explores the interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights in Pakistan to facilitate scholars, activists, and educationists to identify the areas of their common interests and collaborate more meaningfully. Method: A qualitative study employing a systematic review, survey, and some structured interviews was undertaken in order to find some common parameters from which it may be tentatively concluded that Moral Education and Human Rights are interdependent. Results: The results largely indicate that the study will provide a strong foundation to make meaningful changes in the domain of Moral Values Education, with particular emphasis on the context of Human Rights and training educators to be the most important “vehicle” for impact. Conclusion: The study establishes the significance of Moral Education and its efficacy in institutions highlighting the interdependence of Moral Values Education and Human Rights. It also presents some state-of-the-art implementation measures to secure lifelong learning possibilities using integrative approaches to foster knowledge and competencies related to ethics and values education.

Investigating the Inclusion of Human Rights Education in Pakistani Elite Schools: A Qualitative Content Analysis of History Textbooks

Pakistani educational system is broadly divided into public and private sectors. Due to specific financial and administrative issues, the public sector has failed to produce social capital that could serve as an advocate of human rights. However, elite schools in the private sector are better equipped to educate their students on human rights. Through qualitative content analysis, the present study explores the status of human rights in history textbooks taught in elite schools from grade 6 to O-levels and the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Middle Years Programme (MYP). It was observed that the human rights issues in Pakistan remained part of the null curriculum in the books published for Pakistani students. In the I.B. books, human rights issues were discussed at the global level, leaving elite students ignorant and oblivious to the state of human rights in Pakistan. It is suggested that human rights should be transformed from abstract and generalized statements to absolute and concrete reality, first stemming from local society and then advancing to a global community.

Criminal Justice Reforms and Human Rights in Pakistan: A Comparative Analysis with Australia, the UK, and Canada

This study compares criminal justice reforms and human rights in Pakistan juxtaposed with Australia, the UK, and Canada, emphasizing the reforms' role in supporting human rights. It evaluates how these reforms contribute to fair trials and humane treatment in the justice system, examining Australia's indigenous rights focus, the UK's digital advancements, and Canada's restorative justice. The aim is to highlight effective practices and challenges to improve global justice systems and stress the collective endeavors required to promote human rights in criminal justice.

The Interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights: How are moral education and human rights related?

Purpose: ‘Moral Education’ is a major field in the study of education, characterized as a systematic process that provides a structure of meaningful activities for engaging young individuals to help them acquire a set of beliefs that guide their intentions and attitudes towards others and their environment / society in terms of outlook and morality. It focuses on the prevalent norms, values, and virtues which prompt individuals to reflect and act according to their axiological responsibilities. ‘Human Rights’ are those inherent moral claims of all human beings without which they cannot live as human beings. After the formation of the UN in 1945 and the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December 1948, they revolved around the ideas of Freedom, Equality, Justice, Human Dignity, Inalienability, Indivisibility, and Universality. Now they hold prime consideration in Education as well. This study explores the interrelationship of Moral Education and Human Rights in Pakistan to facilitate scholars, activists, and educationists to identify the areas of their common interests and collaborate more meaningfully.
 Method: A qualitative study employing a systematic review, survey, and some structured interviews was undertaken in order to find some common parameters from which it may be tentatively concluded that Moral Education and Human Rights are interdependent.
 Results: The results largely indicate that the study will provide a strong foundation to make meaningful changes in the domain of Moral Values Education, with particular emphasis on the context of Human Rights and training educators to be the most important “vehicle” for impact.
 Conclusion: The study establishes the significance of Moral Education and its efficacy in institutions highlighting the interdependence of Moral Values Education and Human Rights. It also presents some state-of-the-art implementation measures to secure lifelong learning possibilities using integrative approaches to foster knowledge and competencies related to ethics and values education.

Human Rights and Democracy in South Asia: Theory and Practice in Pakistan

Political instability in Pakistan has led to a weak and inconsistent protection of human rights, with human rights abuses being committed with impunity and limited accountability, ultimately hindering the development of a strong and sustainable democratic system. The paper gives an overview of the legal protections provided under the Constitution of Pakistan regarding fundamental human rights. The paper aims to provides an analysis of the application of various human rights regulations and the ground realities in the country. Using a variety of secondary data sources, including human rights reports, news articles, and legal documents, the paper explores the extent to which the government of Pakistan is fulfilling its obligations under national and international human rights regulations. This research paper examines the current situation of human rights in Pakistan, with a focus on key issues such as the rule of law, economic challenges, fight against corruption and terrorism, women and minority rights, and freedom of expression. The findings suggest that while there have been some positive developments in recent years, such as the strengthening of counter-terrorism measures and the creation of new laws to protect women's rights, significant challenges remain. These challenges include the failure to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable, the use of legal regulations to suppress dissent and free speech, and the continued discrimination against religious minorities and marginalized groups.

Legal Aid: A Cornerstone of Human Rights in Pakistan

This article explores the relationship between legal aid and human rights in Pakistan, addressing the challenges faced by marginalized communities in accessing justice and the impact of legal aid in overcoming these barriers. It also highlights key policy implications, acknowledging limitations and emphasizing the need for robust government support to ensure equitable access to justice. Legal aid is portrayed as a lifeline for individuals facing human rights violations and injustices, to strengthen Pakistan's legal aid framework to promote justice and equity. This article offers valuable insights into these critical issues and provides a roadmap for improving access to justice and safeguarding human rights in Pakistan.

Investigating the Clash of Discourses on Linguistic Human Rights: Focus on the Private Schools in Sindh, Pakistan

This study investigates the clashing discourses of linguistic human rights in Pakistan’s multilingual Sindh province, where Sindhis are the majority, and English, Urdu, and Sindhi are used as official languages. The Sindhi language activists want Sindhi to be used as the medium of instruction for the first five formative years of education, while many Sindhi parents want their children to be taught in English. Such diverging demands have caused the clash of discourses on linguistic human rights in Sindh. Therefore, by conducting semi-structured interviews of 20 participants, this study investigates why Sindhi language activists and parents hold different views of what constitutes language human rights. Findings demonstrate that the Sindhi language activists’ conceptualization of linguistic human rights emphasizes cultural heritage, ethnic consciousness, and linguistic unity. In contrast, the Sindhi parents’ conceptualization of linguistic human rights focuses on upward social mobility, prestige, and linguistic domination.

Behind Bars: A Critical Investigation of Prison’s Conditions and Protection of the Prisoner’s Human Rights in Pakistan

Behind Bars: A Critical Investigation of Prison’s Conditions and Protection of the Prisoner’s Human Rights in Pakistan

Islam and International Standards of Human Rights: An Analysis of Domestic Implementation of International Human Rights in Islamic Culture

The understanding of human rights concepts and laws has developed dramatically. Human rights concepts have shaped the moral, ethical, legal, political, and religious realities of many civilized nations. Modern nations give utmost significance to humans, and all laws of the states revolve around humans. Murder, terrorism, honor killing, and the denial of human rights are frequently blamed on Islam. This review paper focused on the practical conditions of human rights in Pakistan as an Islamic country, based on human rights reports and observations, and its relevance to the contemporary discourse on human rights within international standards of human rights. Islam advocates the peaceful co-existence of peoples, religions, and societies and guarantees individual and collective rights. Rather, human rights are a central feature of Islam. Islam as a religion recognizes two types of rights: rights that humans are obliged, by virtue of being the creations of God, to fulfill and obey, and rights that they are entitled to expect from their fellow human beings. Domestic implementation failure of human rights refers to moral collapse and state failure

HUMAN RIGHTS LAW: TRANSNATIONAL JUDICIAL DIALOGUES ON CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND VIOLATION PREVENTION

Human rights' fundamental content, which includes freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, also implies that all people are born free and have the same rights. People form unique businesses within society as family members and are referred to as contributors. We gain a better understanding of the victory over Babylon when we discuss 539 BC. Cyrus freed all of the slaves of war, and they were free to go wherever they pleased, which introduced a new element into people's lives. Human liberty and other rights were given special attention, which was a remarkable act at the time because people had no concept of them. When we think about human rights, we get the impression that it is difficult to locate all fundamental rights in the shadow of both Islamic and secular legal frameworks. Every Pakistani citizen has the right to express themselves freely, to think freely, and to believe freely. These are the fundamental public rights guaranteed by the Constitutions of 1956, 1962, and 1973. The primary goal of those constitutions became to guarantee others' rights. Pakistan has its own human rights commission. The primary goal of this research is to assess judicial enforcement of international human rights in Pakistan. The fundamental content of human rights, which includes freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, also implies that all individuals are born free and have the same rights. People create unique businesses within society as family members, and they are referred to as contributors. When we discuss 539 BC, we gain a better understanding of the victory over Babylon. All of the slaves of war were released by Cyrus, and they were free and could go wherever they pleased, which became a brand new element for people. He placed a high value on liberty and other human rights, which was a remarkable act at the time because there was no concept in people's minds. Keywords: violation of fundamental rights, Prevention, Protection of rights.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND ITS JUDICIAL ENFORCEMENT IN PAKISTAN

The fundamental content of human rights, including freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, also implies that all people are born free and have the same rights. As family members, people form unique businesses within society and are referred to as contributors. When we discuss 539 BC, we gain a better understanding of the victory over Babylon. All of the slaves of war were released by Cyrus, and they were free to go wherever they pleased, which became a brand new element for people. A great deal of emphasis was placed on human liberty and other rights, which was a remarkable act at the time because there was no concept in people's minds. When we consider human rights, we get the impression that it is difficult to locate all primary rights under the shadow of both Islamic and secular legal guidelines. Every Pakistani citizen has the right to free expression, the right to think, and the right to believe. These are the basic fundamental rights guaranteed to the public by the Constitutions of 1956, 1962, and 1973. The primary goal of those constitutions became to provide guarantee to the rights of others. Pakistan has an independent human rights commission. Primary purpose of this study is to evaluate judicial enforcement of international human rights in Pakistan. Key Words: International Human Rights, Judicial Enforcement, Fundamental Rights in Pakistan.

Elite School Students’ Perceptions of Human Rights: An Interview Study

Since independence, Pakistan has been struggling to deal with its two focal phenomena. One is the culture of elite governance whereby precious chosen few can influence all societal and administrative segments of the country, and the second related to the issues in the realization of human rights. The realization of fundamental, social, cultural, and political rights depends upon how the ruling elites perceive it. Keeping in view the scenario, this qualitative study was set to explore the perceptions of elite students regarding status and issues in the realization of human rights in Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five purposely selected students from elite schools. Thematic analysis revealed that most students have a superficial understanding of human rights. Though they believed that hierarchies, corruption, religious extremism, and nepotism should come to an end for the beginning of a just society, their discourse held class interest. Transparency, accountability, and good governance were not stressed. A society with equal human rights requires participation by elites which is characterized by a greater sense of social justice, humanity, responsibility, and accountability.

Print Media Role in Promotion of Human Rights in Pakistan

The current study is an exploratory study of Pakistan's print media to understand its role in the promotion of Human rights as their promotion is the basic duty of every state as per the United Nations agenda. It is the content analysis of four national dailies, both Urdu and English. Study finds out that there is no significant difference among both types of papers in publishing news regarding Human Rights. But Urdu papers published more news about Human Rights as compare to English Dailies. Both type of newspapers mostly published news about loss & damages and the statements. Pakistani press is not conscious about the United Nations Agenda of "Promotion of Human Rights is the responsibility of the states" and publishes the news about incidents objectively. Professional journalists should differentiate between the “Human right journalism and human wrong journalism".

Teaching human rights through global education to teachers in Pakistan

Pakistan is home to religious and cultural ideologies that greatly support the values of human rights. Nevertheless, the multilayered philosophies of human rights in Pakistan have at times heightened clashes and bred a culture of tension among higher education learners. Ideological filters in national education policies have removed human rights elements from the curriculum, making it more difficult to shape positive attitudes of students and teachers toward human rights. This article outlines the challenges and opportunities of teaching human rights education to Muslim teachers, and traces the national conceptualization of globalization and the state of human rights in Pakistan. It then discusses how policies and curricula, particularly in teacher education, can address human rights values even in the face of prevailing challenges and ideological resistance. Finally, it reflects on the challenges and prospects of teaching a global human rights course to prospective teachers in Pakistan.

Impact of Gender Binarism on Hijras’ Life Course and Their Access to Fundamental Human Rights in Pakistan

ABSTRACTThis study adds to the growing body of knowledge on gender nonconformity aspects of heteronormativity by examining its impact on the life course of hijras and their access to fundamental human rights in Pakistan. Drawing on 50 semistructured interviews conducted in two sites, the findings suggest that the participants’ lived experiences associated with gender nonconformity significantly influenced the direction of their life course and their ability to have access to human rights. These experiences spanned from childhood to elderhood across a wide range of settings, such as family, school, guru dera (residence headed by a hijra guru), workplace, and interactions with authorities. The participants’ human rights were not recognized, resulting in abuse, social stigma, discrimination against them, and their exclusion from mainstream society. Finally, implications are drawn for public policy and future research on third gender concerns in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Introduction 1-1

In early 2015 I began to think of starting a research journal in the field of human rights in Pakistan. There were three impetuses to start this initiative: first, the fact of matter that there was no research journal in the field of human rights published from Pakistan by then; second, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan was financially supporting such initiatives; and third, my academic background in constitutional theory and politics that made me feel that I could start this initiative. However, it took more than three years to finally see the initiative taking off the ground (-this introduction is written at the end of 2018).

The War on Terror and the Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan

The movement against enforced disappearances has been exceptionally strong in Pakistan. It has highlighted the extralegal activities of state actors and has prompted the judiciary to question powerful agencies regarding their conduct. With the help of historical analysis, this article argues that the movement has grown out of the reactions generated by War on Terror in Pakistan. The state’s stance to override human rights for combating terrorism is challenged by a movement which is largely anti-War on Terror and which is strengthened by historical and ideological factors as well as by respect for human rights. The movement against enforced disappearances had thus paved the ground for important debates on human rights in Pakistan.

Between Law and Custom: Women, Family Law and Marriage in Pakistan

In this study, women’s marriage experiences in Pakistan, specifically their agency and autonomy to enter and terminate their marriages, were examined. Qualitative interviews with 15 women living in a shelter in Pakistan were used to analyze women’s rights in marriage as articulated in the law and the manner in which they are experienced in practice. A significant gap between women’s de jure rights and de facto exercise of their rights is revealed. Women who transgress narrowly defined boundaries of behavior by exercising their rights encountered violence, family estrangement and stigmatization. Shifting attitudes among women and a desire for greater self-determination regarding their marriages emerged from the narratives. Strengthening the legal framework and rule of law and mass public education regarding legal and human rights in Pakistan are recommended to protect women’s rights and elevate the status of women in the family and society.

Fitting the bill: commissioned theatre projects on human rights in Pakistan: the work of Karachi-based theatre group Tehrik e Niswan

Theatre practitioners in Pakistan's southern city Karachi have seen a recent surge of interest in the past two decades by donor agencies from the Western world to fund theatre companies and employ various forms of theatre for development to service their agendas and areas of interest within their target communities. This trend may have lent a structure to the practice but it has also brought its own share of problems. Whereas the patronage of donor agencies has facilitated the spread of community theatre, it has also gradually defined the transformation of some theatre groups from their politically motivated ideologies to more reformist agendas. This paper examines this phenomenon through the practice of one of Karachi's oldest theatre groups, the Tehrik e Niswan (The Women's Movement), and its recent engagement with community theatre projects within its practice through two recent British Council commissioned projects on forced marriages (2004) and honour killings (2004–06). It also observes the role of Western donor agencies in creating the organisational structure for theatre companies, consequently determining the issues that are taken to remote audiences, thus contributing to the gradual change in practice of political theatre in Pakistan.