Pakistan's human rights body urges immediate action to alleviate escalating economic crisis

Lahore [Pakistan], August 23 : Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Joint Action Committee of Pakistan (JAC) have issued a powerful statement urging the government to take immediate action to alleviate the worsening economic crisis that has left millions of Pakistani citizens struggling to meet basic needs.
The groups called for swift implementation of relief measures to address the rapidly escalating cost of living. At a press conference on Thursday, speakers condemned the implicit alliance between business, agricultural, and industrial elites and the state establishment, arguing that this collusion has distorted wealth distribution and created a consumption-driven economy that has left many in dire straits.
Notable participants included JAC Convenor Irfan Mufti, HRCP Secretary-General Harris Khalique, rights activist Mohammad Tahseen, academics Fahd Ali and Salima Hashmi, labour rights activists Latif Ansari, Farooq Tariq, and Rubina Shakil, Human Rights Watch representative Saroop Ijaz, and student rights activists Ali Raza and Muzammil Kakar.
The group demanded the imposition of price controls on essential goods such as staple foods and medicines. They advocated for subsidised access to electricity, gas, potable water, connectivity, and public transportation for working-class households.
In the short term, they recommended raising the minimum wage in direct proportion to inflation and ensuring fair wages for women in the informal sector. Furthermore, the participants called for the expansion of existing social safety net programs to prevent vulnerable households from falling into poverty.
They emphasised the need for universal access to pensions, healthcare, and unemployment benefits, and urged the government to allocate 4-6 per cent of GDP annually to education and health.
This investment would support free universal primary education, free school meals, affordable secondary and higher education, and the establishment of a national health service. The group also advocated for a shift from regressive to progressive taxation and demanded transparency regarding the status and terms of repayment of loans from multilateral bodies.
They called for a comprehensive debt audit to facilitate debt retirement and reparations. Concluding the meeting, HRCP Treasurer Husain Naqi urged civil society to launch a mass movement to pressure political parties to prioritize the interests of the working class over those of the establishment.