According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted and proclaimed on 10 December 1948, the Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere.
The day is observed every year to ensure the rights of women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.
In Pakistan, the activists of Human Rights Organisations also observe the day every year but only to make tall claims and presenting hollow recommendations to show off their performance in the field but if we look at the day by day deteriorating situation in the country one can well judge their disinterest, unconcern and non seriousness towards their fellow beings.
In fact, most of them are still not aware of the term Human Rights either. They don’t even know what human rights are. The rights, that are inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status is as we are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights that are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. But the question is has the government been successful in protecting these rights of the people? If yes, then to what extent?
The declaration might have achieved a lot throughout the world but in Pakistan, if we look at the situation, the Human Rights violation has not only ever been addressed to any extent but has also been on rise with the passage of time and God knows whether it will ever end or get worse the more in future.
The everyday blast occurrence, target killing, honor killing as well as domestic violence and above all the unfair justice system prevailing in the country speaks volume of the governments and judiciary’s failure in every sector of every day life of the people of the country.
The frequent fruitless protests and staging rallies by the members of the rights organisation’s at the time when any mishap takes place have lost its credibility. The people have got used to the panic and dreadful incidents taking place around them and started considering it as a part of their routine life.
The day by day rising rate of violence in the name of ‘War on Terror’ has become a ridiculous act just because our people neither know their own rights nor their duties towards their fellow beings.Unless until we get familiar with and understand the privileges bestowed to us by Allah and follow the true teachings of Islam, not only our present sufferings will go on and be increased but also our next generation will have to pay for our ignorance.
Human Rights is a major concern that is being faced by the people of Pakistan and it doesn’t need to be given a mere attention by delivering lectures on the International Human Rights Day as a common and useless act on part of our politicians and rights’ activists but necessitate to be tackled through a stern strategy or else terms like self respect and human dignity will lose their entity for ever.
However, keeping in view the current situation and the alarming future of a so called democratic country it would be a folly to rely on the state or these ostensible and nominal human rights organisations to revitalize and understand ones inborn rights. As per my opinion ‘Being Human’ in itself is the greatest strength to realise and give a new lease to ones life. And the time has come when the people must act accordingly to prove their vigor and achieve the goal of not only making Pakistan as a sovereign state but also raise voice for their own independence. The very and the only option left with the people is to apprehend their power as human being rather than to wait for some miracle to happen or surrender and let themselves to be slaughtered like animals.
My honest and an open message to the readers and the people of Pakistan in particular is only a few words: “Know yourself, your substance as ‘Being Human’, comprehend the significance of your creation, acknowledge your duties, have faith in God and be confident about your existence” consequently, this will be none other than ‘You’ to be the real ‘Conqueror’.
About the author: Farzana Ali Khan is a journalist working for The News International and an IVLP alumni. She has written the above article for the AHRC. She can be reached at farykhan@gmail.com
