HRCP raises alarm over state crackdown on protestors in Moro; calls for impartial inquiry

Moro [Pakistan], May 26 : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed deep concern over the escalating crackdown on civilians in Sindh's Moro following a protest against enforced disappearances, corporate land acquisition, and the construction of new canals on the River Indus.

According to HRCP, the demonstration turned violent, resulting in casualties and injuries among both protestors and police personnel. The commission said the burial of a deceased political activist under police supervision, along with the arrests and sedition charges filed against demonstrators and their family members was particularly disturbing.

In a statement released on social media, HRCP said, "While HRCP does not condone violence by any actor, the disproportionate use of force by the police and criminalisation of dissent is unlawful." The commission further called for "an immediate, impartial inquiry into these incidents" and demanded that the right to peaceful assembly be upheld."

https://x.com/HRCP87/status/1926968721781764528

The unrest stemmed from long-standing grievances among locals in Sindh, including state-backed enforced disappearances and fears that large-scale corporate farming and canal construction projects will displace indigenous communities and damage the region's fragile ecosystem.

Civic rights watchdogs have long documented the shrinking space for dissent in Pakistan. In a recent statement, the HRCP noted, "The decline in civic freedoms and deteriorating law and order are a cause for grave concern," highlighting a broader trend of state suppression across the country.

The HRCP has urged both provincial and federal authorities to halt the criminalisation of protest and ensure justice for affected families.

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