ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) marked the closing of its four-year project with the European Union titled ‘Protecting the Rights of the Most Vulnerable during the Covid-19 Crisis’ with a seminar in the capital. The project, supported by the EU, focused on defending the rights of marginalised groups during and after the pandemic.

Diplomats, human rights defenders, researchers and members of HRCP’s governing council attended the ceremony. The event reviewed the project’s achievements, which included three nationwide campaigns, 14 fact-finding missions, 78 human rights monitoring and research reports and more than 100 meetings, press conferences and workshops.

Over the past four years, the HRCP mobilised over 2,000 human rights defenders while its research and advocacy reached numerous people through digital platforms across Pakistan. The project allowed HRCP to document rights violations and strengthen engagement with vulnerable communities, particularly women, gender and religious minorities, workers, peasants and youth.

Speaking at the seminar, EU Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis said it was an honour for him to make his first public engagement in Pakistan with HRCP. He stressed that the ability of civil society to work without fear of reprisals was an important sign of democratic health.

He said the EU would continue to advocate for human rights in Pakistan, noting that the upcoming GSP plus monitoring mission would play a key role in this regard. The seminar featured panel discussions.

Rights activists Nasreen Azhar, Nabila Feroz Bhatti, Mahmood Iftikhar and Dileep Doshi highlighted HRCP’s work on freedom of religion or belief.

They underlined ongoing challenges such as forced conversions, hate speech and systemic discrimination against minorities.

The speakers noted HRCP’s efforts to revive interfaith initiatives, press for the implementation of the 2014 Supreme Court judgement on minority rights, and involve young people in promoting religious freedom under the slogan #MazhabiAzadiSabkaHaq.

Another panel examined HRCP’s advocacy on labour rights, a central theme of its mandate. Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt, along with activists Zeeshan Noel, Azwar Shakeel and Samuel Pyara presented HRCP’s survey-based research on barriers to justice for workers.

They shared policy proposals for a living wage, occupational safety, and fair pay for sanitation workers. A documentary on workers’ lives in Karachi was also showcased, highlighting the gap between minimum wage laws and the right to dignity.

HRCP also reviewed labour-related laws, including those affecting street vendors and home-based workers, while pushing for compliance with international labour standards.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025