NHRC members resign en masse

All members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have resigned following the repeal of the Ordinance under which they were appointed, triggering renewed debate over institutional autonomy and legislative intent.

The development comes after Parliament on April 9 passed the National Human Rights Commission Repeal and Reinstatement Bill by voice vote, paving the way for the reinstatement of the Human Rights Commission Act of 2009. The law is set to come into effect upon publication in the official gazette, subject to presidential assent.

Confirming the matter, commission member Dr Nabila Idris told the media on Monday that all members had stepped down. Outgoing member Nur Khan said, "We were not formally asked to resign. We were kept in a kind of haze. Since we assumed office under the Ordinance, we considered it appropriate to step down once it was repealed."

Following their resignation, the former commissioners issued a detailed open letter contesting what they described as "incorrect information" presented in Parliament to justify the repeal and raising concerns over the legal and institutional implications of the move.

Referring to the Prevention and Remedy of Disappearances Ordinance, the letter stated that contrary to parliamentary claims, the law "provides for the maximum sentence of death, life imprisonment and fine depending on the severity of the crime." It further argued that "the Human Rights Commission Ordinance clearly sets out the time limit for investigation and the method for determining and collecting fines," adding that such provisions are absent in the reinstated 2009 law.

On the question of jurisdiction, the former members rejected assertions that the ordinance conflicted with the International Crimes Tribunal framework, stating, "The ICT can only try crimes against humanity, not isolated criminal offences. Therefore, there is no scope for 'matching' the two laws."