Baluchistan: Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International on Sunday called on UN member states to fix accountability for Pakistan's human rights record ahead of Islamabad's fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on January 30, reported Baluchistan Affairs, a non-partisan multiplatform media forum.

Amnesty International has strongly urged all UN Member States to engage in effective and meaningful discussions with Pakistan, including following up on their past recommendations and offering concrete recommendations to improve respect for human rights in the country.

Rimmel Mohydin, regional campaigner at Amnesty International said, "The assessment presents a crucial opportunity for UN Member States to peer review Pakistan's human rights record and to hold the authorities accountable for their failure to uphold their human rights obligations and commitments."

Pakistan's fourth UPR arrives at a tumultuous time for human rights in Pakistan, with political upheaval, economic instability, climate crisis, and an oppressed civil society enabling the environment for their abuse and impunity, reported Balochistan Affairs.

The UPR also offers a chance to assess Pakistan's implementation of recommendations from previous reviews - the last of which was held in 2018.

"Pakistan promised to criminalize enforced disappearances and to hold perpetrators accountable, but neither has happened despite attempts to legislate against the practice. Commitments to protect minority groups from discrimination have been eclipsed by violent, often deadly attacks against them that have been carried out with impunity. The grip on the press and civil society have only tightened in the five years since," said Mohydin.

The United Nations Human Rights Council's UPR offers an opportunity to review the human rights record of all UN Member States once every four years.

The reviews include an interactive discussion between the State under review and other UN Member States.

During this discussion, any UN Member State can ask questions or make recommendations to the State under review.