In most countries, the state machinery exists to protect individuals and their rights. Not in Pakistan.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) at 8:45 pm on the night of April 19 “two armed men broke into the house of Ms Maryam Hasan, editor of HRCP’s annual report, and took away her laptop, two hard drives and two mobile phones, as well as some jewelry and cash. They told Ms Hasan, who lives alone, that they had also come the day before, but not committed burglary since she had not been at home. They questioned Ms Hasan about her professional engagements and intimidated her in a roundabout manner, finally leaving at 10.00 PM.”
The HRCP condemned this burglary-style raid on the hone of the editor of its State of Human Rights report, which was launched just two days earlier on 16 April. Further in a statement the HRCP stated that it “‘suspects that the two suave raiders were no ordinary thieves and calls on the Government of Punjab to apprehend the culprits and establish their identity. HRCP will hold the provincial authorities responsible for any attempt by state or non-state actors to harass any persons associated with the Commission.”
