Islamabad [Pakistan], March 1 (ANI): The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed deep concern over the forced eviction of long-settled families in the Umerkot district, calling it a grave violation of human rights and a sign of systemic policing failures.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, it said, 'HRCP is gravely concerned by the forced eviction of long-settled families in Umerkot district. The reported conduct of the police, including violence against women, children and the elderly, reflects entrenched structural deficiencies, a politicised command, weak civilian oversight and impunity for excesses.'

The commission further criticised the provincial administration, noting that 'suspension and inquiry are insufficient.' It urged the Sindh government to implement comprehensive police reforms, including independent complaints authorities, transparent protocols for evictions, mandatory human rights training, and mechanisms to protect the police from elite influence.

'The police must protect vulnerable citizens, not function as an instrument for powerful interests,' the HRCP said.

According to a report by Dawn, the Awami Tehreek (AT) also staged a demonstration in front of the Larkana Press Club, denouncing what they termed 'police brutality' in Umerkot.

As reported by Dawn, Speakers alleged that the Sindh government was forcibly removing poor and marginalised families from their homes using fraudulent revenue documents, effectively erasing centuries-old villages. They said that Sindhi residents were being dispossessed of ancestral land while facing violence and humiliation during eviction drives.

The protest leaders accused the police of acting as a 'private armed force' of influential landlords, claiming that robberies, looting and dacoit activities were being carried out under police protection.

According to an earlier report by Dawn, a citywide strike had brought normal life to a standstill in Umerkot after police, acting on a court order, forcibly evicted dozens of families from their homes in Afghan Para near Sultan Chowk. Markets remained shuttered, public transport was sparse, and routine commercial activity was severely disrupted as residents protested what they described as an unjust and heavy-handed operation.

The displaced families told the media that they had been living in Afghan Para for close to a century, with generations born and raised in the locality. They argued that despite their long settlement, they were dispossessed without proper verification of land records, without rehabilitation arrangements, and with the use of force. (ANI)