South Asians for Human Rights successfully conducted the election of Bureau Members through an online election based on a voting platform. This platform was custom built for SAHR and included comprehensive security measures to ensure the security and reliability of the election.…
Minorities in Pakistan can be loosely defined by religion, gender, and location. The largest minority group within the country ironically comprises of almost half the population: women. Women are considered a minority due to their suppression within the electoral process – whether as voters or elected representatives – and their general absence in the public and private sphere in a male dominated society.
95% of Pakistan’s population is Muslim while the remaining 5% is comprised of Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Ahmadis and a few other denominations. Ahmadis follow the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed that deviate from the fundamentals of Islam.4 Due to these variations, Ahmadis are not considered Muslim and ostracized in predominantly Muslim countries such as Pakistan. Hindus and Christians face a similar fate in this country due to their religious beliefs and issues become exacerbated due to minimal or zero representation of these communities.
By: Farooq Tariq
The recent devastating flood, affecting the lives of over 20 million in Pakistan, has once again uncovered the severe poverty that people are facing. Many hundreds of thousands fled their mud homes in a hurry, taking just a trunk, a few clothes and pottery and maybe a donkey, cow or a buffalo.
The much-touted claims of economic growth and progress by successive civilian and military governments exclude millions of people languishing in hopeless poverty. This is the situation persistent throughout all South Asian countries without exception. Under the influence of neoliberal formulations, governments no longer talk of the “abolition” of poverty or its “elimination” but only of its “alleviation.” The number of poor is increasing in all these countries.
According to the Human Development Report 2009, Afghanistan is ranked 132 out of 182 countries; Bangladesh is 112, Pakistan 101 and Nepal in 99th position. This number only indicates the “absolute poor”–those unable to meet their daily nutritional requirements calculated in calories. The number of poor would be far higher if a dignified quality of life is considered. Large sections of the population–easily the majority–are deprived of basic necessities including adequate shelter, clothing, education and health services, etc. They have almost no access to resources. Studies now indicate that the problem of poverty, even in countries like India that boasts of substantial economic growth, is persistent.