UDHR, Universal Declaration on Human Rights was originally conceived as a “standard of achievement” for all states to aim at. It was a code of conduct, made for people of the world to deal with each other in every day life. It deals with civil, political, social, economic, cultural, and rights of brotherhood and solidarity. Humans although being aware of rights and wrongs did need these codes of conduct to ensure that no one is discriminated on any basis. Still, many civilized as well as under develop states violate these basic fundamental rights on many grounds.
Nowadays, in Pakistan these basic rights are encroached and the targets are not only the civil society only but also the political figures, national heroes and even the executive elites. Article-3 of UDHR states unqualifiedly the right of everyone to “life liberty and security of person” while Article-9 prohibits arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. The mishandling and insulting a national hero, Imran Khan, banning media, arresting thousand of lawyers, political figures and students are example when this basic code of conduct ensuring humanity was abused by the government. Similarly, the mishandling of chief justice is still fresh in minds. These are some of the prominent and visible events which rose Pakistani people sentiments against General Mushraff regime. The basic human rights which in other words are the code of conduct to deal with a human are not granted, when the whole world has an eye on Pakistan and it is encumbering us as a civilized state.
One of the most intriguing provisions in UDHR is Article-13’s proclamation of the “right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state” and the right of EVERYONE “to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”. But here in Pakistan this code of conduct was violated by non other than its own government, ousting Nawaz sharif although the supreme court of Pakistan had permitted his return.
How can a government ensure democracy when it is not ensuring basic human rights? How would a regime bring stability when all laws are made to bring an unknown uniformity in socio-political lives? On what grounds our government is designing new code of conducts for any sector when even basic ones are not ensured and granted in need of time. Freedom of opinion and expression is provided by Article-19 of UDHR and is reaffirmed in the International covenant on civil and political rights (ICCPR’s) Art-19. Both provisions make clear that this freedom includes the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of frontiers. Unfortunately today, Pakistan is facing the worst dilemma of its sixty years history. The government is about to bring new set of code of conducts making it an obligation for electronic and print media. These code of conduct must be based on Universal declaration of human rights UDHR provision and there implementation must be ensured by government itself.
Niche must be set for every one and must be recognized and respected with true spirit. Today, Pakistani people are endeavoring to confirm the codes of conduct to be recognized as human. The electronic and print media have been infested for decades by every regime but the struggle continued till there objectives were achieved.
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