International Human Rights Foundation Addresses Human Rights Abuses in Pakistan in Open Letter to UK and US

The International Human Rights Foundation has written an open letter to the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States, calling attention to the “sharp deterioration of the political situation in Pakistan”. The letter urges the two governments to use their influence with Pakistani security personnel and politicians, particularly army generals and politicians who own vast amounts of property in the US and UK, to ensure that democracy and the rule of law are upheld. According to the letter, gross human rights violations in Pakistan go unchecked because of the “safe haven that the corrupt generals and politicians enjoy” in the two countries. The letter also highlights the instability in Pakistan, which poses a regional threat, and a “major humanitarian crisis”. Meanwhile, a panel of Sindhi activists raised concerns over the worsening human rights situation in Pakistan’s Sindh province during the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The activists highlighted issues such as enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and the abduction of young girls who are then converted to Islam.