DUBAI: With the elections a few days away, a leading Pakistani social worker and human rights activist has said that political parties have failed to keep human rights as their priority.
“Unfortunately, no political parties consider human rights important enough to add in their agenda,” said Sarim Burney, who runs Sarim Burney Welfare Trust International.
Burney, who is visiting Dubai these days, said in the past three decades of his social work services, he has seen only a decline in the human rights situation in the country. “Thirty years ago; human rights conditions were not bad at all. But despite rising awareness, there is a sharp slide in the social and economic indicator. The social fabric of the country has been completely destroyed.”
He said from the most secular political organizations to the most extremist, no one talks about humans and their rights. “They have an
action plan for everything but nothing for human rights. With such approach, I have no hopes. There may be a change of faces, but the
mindset would be the same.
“Pakistan is in a severe human rights crisis. So much so that human rights have blurred in the air and there is only crisis left in the country.”
Justice system
Burney, who also provides free legal services to hundreds of people, said the legal system is very expensive in Pakistan. “It is next to impossible
for a poor man in the country to approach a court. He cannot afford the legal procedure. Not just that, the duration of seeking justice is
beyond imagination. It usually takes a lifelong time even for a small case to get justice.”
He said unless justice is provided at the grassroots level, an ordinary person on the road cannot feel secure. “Justice can only save the country from being in this crisis situation.”
Currently, Burney welfare organization, based in Karachi, is providing rescue and shelter to more than 100 women and more than 45 children.
Karachi
According to Burney, Karachi has the worst human rights condition compared to the rest of the world. “It is an irony that the largest
metropolitan city has the worst human rights. Instead of investing in lavish floor marbles in the mosque, invest in people around you.
There is no benefit of making a grand mosque if your neighbor is suffering.”
NGOs
Burney said the mushrooming of unlimited non-governmental organizations, is actually not helping the progress of human rights.
“Increasing numbers of NGOs across the country does not reflect that the country has improved significantly in terms of human rights. These
so-called NGOs are focused on grabbing foreign funding rather than doing welfare work. For welfare work, they have to come out of
their comfort zone and have to work with ordinary people. Cosmetic NGOs are good for nothing. In fact, they are hurting and creating
problems for real social workers.”
National Police Bureau Report
Early this year, Pakistan’s National Police Bureau Reported reported as many as 129,534 human rights violations across the country
during the past five years, according to the data of the National Police Bureau (NPB).
The data highlights that these cases included murder, honor killings, kidnapping, sexual assault, acid attacks, and violence against women and children, among other violations.
However, according to Burney, these numbers are only the few who have been able to report their experiences to the police. “There are countless crimes that happen every day in millions of households across the country and even in public spaces, but they are never reported. “Human rights crimes are not just numbers. They mirror the kind of society you are living in. We need to start fixing things from homes. It’s a long struggle and we need to fight aggressively.” 
As far as Burney is concerned, he said, it’s a lifelong struggle. “I will do my bit till my last breath. If I can change even the mindset of a few, I will consider myself a winner.”