LAHORE: A new report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in partnership with the European Union, has unveiled alarming issues in Lahore’s water and sewerage services, raising significant human rights concerns and identifying urgent issues related to fragmented service delivery and a lack of accountability within local government structures
Titled “Urban Exclusion in Access to Water and Sanitation in Lahore,” the study emphasizes the urgent need for a rights-based approach to ensure equitable access to clean water and sanitation for all Lahore’s residents.
In its report, the HRCP says that Lahore’s lack of a legally established local government significantly worsens accountability issues, adding that without defined frameworks for citizen representation, oversight, and responsiveness, municipal operations are marked by limited transparency and fewer avenues for public engagement. This governance shortfall, the study contends, complicates efforts to meet residents’ needs and to guarantee fair access to water and sanitation services.
The HRCP-EU findings highlight significant worries surrounding the safeguarding of fundamental human rights in Lahore, especially in relation to access to clean water and proper sanitation. The report stresses the importance of adopting a rights-based, fair, and inclusive approach to service delivery, pointing out that existing practices do not meet these essential criteria.
