Abduction of 13-year old minor girl Falak Noor from Sultanabad, Gilgit in Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) has ignited global distress after her father sought both media and police help in her rescue.
Though Noor’s father filed an FIR reporting her disappearance, precious little was done by the Pakistani police in 50 days forcing the distressed family to run from pillar to post.
Human rights organizations came down heavily on Pakistan for infringing upon peoples’ fundamental rights. Her case attracted global criticism and sparked concerns about Pakistan’s ability to defend minority and kids rights, especially in areas such as Gilgit Baltistan, where sectarian strife is common.
Pakistan government’s handling of Falak Noor’s case even in the face of massive demonstrations and demands for justice has come under fire for being inadequate and lacking urgency.
Human rights abuses have continued to be a worrying global issue in recent years and Pakistan has frequently come under fire for its dismal track record in this area.
Gilgit – Baltistan, illegally occupied territory by Pakistan has been focus of public outcry and rallies in response to Falak Noor’s case throwing light on the plight & challenges faced by the region’s marginalised community and stresses on Pakistan’s responsibility to respect justice, safeguard human rights. This incident casts serious doubt on the nation’s commitment to preserving core human rights values.
Noor’s case is not off the block. Rather, it serves as a grim reminder of larger difficulties that marginalised populations in Gilgit Baltistan confront each day. For past 70 years, indigenous tribes in the area have fought for recognition and autonomy, subject to marginalisation and discrimination at the hands of government.
Referencing Falak Noor’s case at the protest march, local leader and Deputy General Secretary of National Trade Union Federation Masir Mansoor emphasised that only the administration is accountable for kidnapping of these defenseless girls and civilians. The grave situation prevailing in Gilgit-Baltistan has also amplified sorry state of affairs in Balochistan and Sindh. Pakistan administration is falling short of its responsibilities everywhere[1].
Human rights organisations, both domestically and internationally, have lambasted the Pakistani government on how indifferent handling of Falak Noor case. The authorities’ tardiness in looking into the claims and making sure that people in danger, such as Falak Noor, are secure is indicative of a larger trend of disregarding rights of minorities and maintaining freedom.
Frequent kidnappings, abuses and inhuman treatment of minorities have also sparked worries about the legal gaps and societal prejudices that make it difficult to prosecute those responsible for forced conversions and kidnappings of youngsters.
Blasphemy laws are frequently used as an instrument to target minorities in Pakistan, who are subject to systemic discrimination and persecution. Given the global uproar around Falak Noor’s case, Pakistan must act quickly to address the structural problems that trigger human rights violations in Gilgit Baltistan. This entails prosecuting those who target abductions, protecting the safety and security of underprivileged populations, and defending the rule of law and justice.
Ironically the so called advocates of peace, who otherwise would leave no stone unturned in case of such an incident happening anywhere else, are silent! Is it because they fear the threat from the Islamist fundamentalists? Or is it a conscious decision to raise issues of certain geography(s)?
Abduction of Falak Noor highlights how urgently Pakistan must rectify its violations of human rights and honour its international obligations to defend the rights of minorities. Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRC) claims that in cases of kidnapping, forced conversions, or sexual abuse of young girls and women, police usually do little and allow the perpetrators to escape, as was the case with Falak Noor, whose father is pressurized to reach a compromise involving land and 1.5 million PKR from the abductors[2]. Pakistan’s human rights record has reached an all-time low as a result of numerous media reports and international organisations exposing the appalling circumstances there. Unfortunately, despite the fact that kidnapping and forced conversion have been important issues in Pakistan for a very long time, no significant political party has yet to implement legislation to address them.
Pakistan has demonstrated once more how little regard it has for the lives of its oppressed minorities! Abduction, forced marriages, rape, and conversions against their will of minority girls and women are happening persistently. Falak Noor’s case in Gilgit Baltistan is a stark reminder of the difficulties human rights advocates in Pakistan face as well as the pressing need for justice and accountability. There is increasing pressure on Pakistan to resolve these issues and show that it is committed to upholding fundamental human rights as calls for justice and accountability become stronger. In addition, it is imperative to reinforce accountability procedures to guarantee that individuals who violate human rights, such as those implicated in forced conversions and kidnapping incidents, face consequences and are prosecuted.
Pakistan, a nation whose inhumanity has progressed to the point of no return, lacks humanism. A paedophilia emergency exists, primarily affecting young girls from underrepresented areas. From 4253 incidences of child abuse—including cases of kidnapping, missing children, and child marriages—recorded in 86 newspapers, according to Sahil, an NGO study titled “Cruel Numbers 2022” to 2227 cases of child abuse from January-June 2023, shows that 12 children on average everyday were subjected to abuse[3].
Police, judiciary and administration all are accomplices in criminal activity and highlights Pakistan government’s failure to put in place appropriate safeguards or prosecute offenders, attacks against women, particularly young girls, have increased.
As a UN Human Rights Council member, Pakistan should clean house before lecturing the rest of the world about upholding human rights and treating its citizens with dignity.
(Author Pummy Pandita is head of operations at Centre for Integrated and Holistic Studies, a non-partisan think tank based in New Delhi)
[1] Protesters issue ‘ultimatum’ to authorities, demand safe return of abducted minor girl in Gilgit Baltistan (msn.com)
[2] Falak Noor Abduction Case: A Continuation of Forced Child Marriages in Pakistan – Youlin Magazine
[3] https://sahil.org/cruel-numbers/
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