Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment have persisted in Pakistan despite the enactment of the country's anti-torture law in 2022, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has warned, pointing to weak implementation, inadequate safeguards and a lack of accountability.

The commission issued the warning at a roundtable in Islamabad on 30 July, held as part of its 'Against Torture' campaign. Supported by the European Union in Pakistan, the consultation brought together legal experts, government representatives and civil society to identify obstacles to implementing the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Act 2022 and to develop recommendations for strengthening the country's anti-torture framework.

HRCP Council member and former chairperson Hina Jilani said preventing and addressing cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment including psychological torture was equally important, warning that its consequences could be as severe and long-lasting as those of physical torture. Without clear procedures and practical guidance for law-enforcement agencies on how to identify, investigate, document and respond to cases of torture and ill-treatment, she said, the law could not be implemented effectively.

Participants noted that torture and ill-treatment were not committed solely by state actors, but stressed that the state remained responsible for preventing such acts, protecting victims and ensuring accountability.

Referring to the findings of the UN Committee against Torture, lawyer Asad Jamal said many of the concerns raised during Pakistan's 2017 review had been repeated at its 2026 review, showing that the structural problems enabling torture remained unaddressed. He called on Pakistan to establish clear protocols to prevent arbitrary detention, amend the Prison Rules in line with human-rights principles, and ensure its legal and institutional framework complies with international standards.

Law ministry advisor Usman Ali invited HRCP to submit recommendations on strengthening implementation of the anti-torture framework. PTI leader Taimoor Khan Jhagra welcomed the campaign but stressed that civil society had a key role in changing behavioural norms, adding that the failure to prevent torture was not limited to a failure of legislation.

Concluding the consultation, HRCP Council member Farhatullah Babar drew attention to the use of internment centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, cautioning that they should either be abolished or brought under the civilian prison system with independent civilian oversight. He also urged the government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which would allow a national preventive mechanism to carry out regular, unannounced inspections of all places of detention.

The campaign is chaired by HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt.

Published in Balochistan Dispatch, August 1st, 2026