Senate Standing Committee On HR Held

The 27th meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Rights was held here on Tuesday under the Chairpersonship of Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA, in the Parliament House

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2023 ) :The 27th meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Rights was held here on Tuesday under the Chairpersonship of Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA, in the Parliament House.

The meeting commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran. The chairperson welcomed all the participants and afterward decided to precede as per agenda items.

The Director General, Ministry of Human Rights provided a comprehensive update on the implementation status of recommendations made by the Committee spanning from the first meeting till the 26th meeting of the Standing Committee.

The Director General apprised the committee about the compliance of international and National obligations related to Human Rights, coordination with Provincial Governments, and consideration of various Bills under the subjects of torture, custodial death and custodial rape, senior citizen rights, child protection, the protection of journalists and media professionals, protection against harassment of the women at the workplace, juvenile justice system, and maintenance of welfare of old parents and senior citizen named a few.

Committee lauded the efforts of MoHR and recommended that data collection with respect to minority and child protection should be gathered at the earliest.

The Director General, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) reported the committee about the awareness campaign centered around child protection messages, including the widely recognized "ZAARA" initiative. The Committee recommended utilizing social media platforms, collaborating with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for caller tunes, and employing regional languages to expand the reach of these messages. Additionally, the Committee directed PEMRA to furnish a list of tv channels broadcasting the public service messages.

The Deputy Director, Capital Development Authority (CDA) presented the progress on creating accessible ramps and parking spaces for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in private sector offices and buildings.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction over the negligence of the construction of a fence or wall at the rear of F9 park to safeguard the citizens.

However, Director, CDA informed that 15 bikes from CDA are deputed for patrolling and outsourced the security responsibilities to the private companies as well.

The Committee expressed its strong displeasure, attributing the breach of privilege to the lack of seriousness and the absence of the CDA Chairman. Consequently, the Committee decided to refer this matter to the Committee of Rules and Privileges for subsequent steps.

The committee also discussed the issuance of fake identity documents to Afghan refugees, which has led to misuse and tarnished Pakistan's reputation. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the legal status of newborns among Afghan refugees, financial assistance, and their repatriation plans after a three-month period.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the committee about the survivors of the Greece boat wreck incident. A total number of Pakistanis 291, 12 survived from which only one is a returnee, however, 11 applied for asylum. Furthermore, 15 dead bodies recognized through fingerprints and 11 deceased repatriated so far. On Human rights violation, the response from Greek authorities has been limited.

The Director, Immigration (FIA) briefed the committee on ongoing human trafficking investigations related to the Greece boat incident. He apprised that 193 cases are under progress from which around 90 human traffickers are arrested and 35 are located abroad. Moreover, within first 6 months of 2023, more than 2000 cases inquired and a large number of human traffickers were arrested.

The committee urged the Ministry of Education to expedite the implementation of free and compulsory education, with a particular emphasis on involving private schools and ensuring the active participation of female teachers. In concluding remarks, Chairperson presented the Resolution to show gratitude to all the participants and leaving this prestigious Committee of National Assembly in a positive frame of mind.

Honorable Members Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, Ms. Kishwer Zehra, Ms. Zeb Jaffar, Mr. Mohsin Dawar and Mr. Qadir Khan Mandokhail MNAs, attended the meeting.