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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) hosted a conference titled "Decolonising the Law: Human Rights and Legal Reform in Pakistan" to examine the enduring legacy of colonial-era legislation and its detrimental impact on Pakistan's governance and judicial systems.
Lawyers, academics, journalists, and activists gathered to emphasise the urgent need for dismantling oppressive laws that continue to marginalise vulnerable communities, according to a post shared by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on the social media platform X. Opening the session, HRCP chairperson Asad Butt criticised the legislative priorities of the state, pointing out that restrictive laws are quickly passed, while those designed to benefit the public face delays. HRCP secretary-general Harris Khalique explained how colonial legal systems entrenched societal divides, treating citizens as subjects rather than equal participants. Delivering the keynote address, former Supreme Court Justice Maqbool Baqer described Pakistan's judiciary as a structure designed to "control rather than protect," urging reforms that remove laws criminalising dissent and ensure judicial independence. The plenary session featured lawyer Sara Malkani, who highlighted how sedition and preventive detention laws replicate colonial strategies, while researcher Nazish Brohi noted that Pakistan's governance still reflects a "civilising mission" reminiscent of colonial times. Journalist Akbar Notezai stressed that Balochistan continues to face systemic exploitation and disappearances, likening it to a colony. Lawyer Asfandyar Warraich called freedom of assembly "the fulcrum of all rights," cautioning against restrictive protest laws, as highlighted by HRCP. Subsequent sessions focused on digital repression, criminal procedure, land tenure, and gender rights. Activist Farieha Aziz and several lawyers criticised the misuse of PECA and sedition laws, which HRCP Council member Sohail Sangi compared to colonial press controls. Speakers, including Abira Ashfaq, Mudassar Farooq, and Hareem Godil, traced discriminatory provisions, particularly blasphemy-related laws, back to colonial origins. HRCP members Mahnaz Rahman and Sadia Baloch highlighted women's struggles under patriarchal and colonial legal structures, as stated by HRCP In her concluding remarks, former HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani called for rejecting both colonial and authoritarian traditions to build a legal system rooted in justice and equality. Sindh Assembly deputy speaker Anthony Naveed stressed the importance of reviewing draft laws on religious freedoms to ensure they safeguard, rather than undermine, marginalised communities. (ANI)
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