Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network (SHRDN) expresses serious concern over the current dysfunctional status of Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), a provincial statutory body established through the Sindh Protection of Human Rights Act, 2011 for promotion and protection of human rights in the province of Sindh, by investigating violation and abuses of human rights, proposing remedies and facilitating access of vulnerable individual, families, group to justice. It is unfortunate that today it is completely dysfunctional, stand-still and without operation which means work on human rights, right to life, liberty, equality, and dignity and other rights enshrined in the constitution are also at halt. Through reliable sources, Sindh HRD Network has come to know that following the removal of its Chairperson in August 2025 and later resignation of its statutory members, SHRC has stopped functioning due to severe administrative, operational and financial challenges.
Since the removal of the Chairperson in August and full time members, no new chairperson or permanent member has been appointed leaving the statutory body without leadership and activities. It is pertinent to mention here that the Commission’s operation budget is also not released and currently the human rights body is without financial resources. Staff members’ salaries of last four month have not been paid. The secretariat of the Provincial Commission is left without capacity, direction, resources to function effectively. Consequently, the Commission’s core functions—including complaint handling, fact-finding, monitoring, and public advocacy have been stopped ceased.
Victims of violence, abuses continue to approach the office of the Commission for seeking relief but due to financial and other operational issues, their complains are not being processed and addressed. The Secretariat of the Commission is operating nominally, without any decision-making authority or leadership support. All programmatic, outreach, and awareness activities have been suspended. The Commission’s engagement with national and international human rights mechanisms—including coordination on treaty body reporting and contributions to GSP+ compliance—has been disrupted, weakening Sindh’s visibility and credibility on human rights commitments.
Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network (SHRDN) feel concerned regarding the timing of this institutional paralysis is particularly troubling, as the European Union’s GSP+ Review Mission is scheduled for October/November 2025. It is unfortunate that after the removal of the Chairperson and resignation of the full time member, an interim leadership has also not been appoint to run the affairs of the Commission.
We acknowledge the fact that the establishment of the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in the province for documenting and human rights reporting was an appreciable step by the Government of Sindh. However, the current dormant status of the Commission will leave the vulnerable citizens without protection and remedy. Not only this, it will undermine Pakistan human rights commitments and reputation at the international level.
Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network (SHRDN) urge the Government of Sindh to immediately appoint a qualified, eligible, competent Chairperson and members of the Commission through a transparent, merit based process consistent with the Paris Principles.
Paris Principles apply to the Sindh Human Rights Commission and provide standard for its independence, broad mandate, pluralist composition, and effectiveness. The principles, adopted by the UN General Assembly, are designed to guide states in establishing and supporting NHRIs to protect and promote human rights. We hope Sindh and Pakistan Government will respect the paris principles.
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