Sindh Human Rights department has decided to take Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other civil society stakeholders on board for its draft human rights policy before final approval by the Sindh cabinet.
The decision was taken at a consultative meeting on Draft Human Rights Policy government of Sindh presided over by Surendar Valasai, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Human Rights. Saeed Ghani Minister for Labour and Human Resource, Bangul Khan Mahar Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Wildlife and representatives of other departments at Human Rights Secretariat were present at the occasion, said a communiqué on Monday.
The draft policy is developed by Human Rights department with inputs from UNDP and several human rights bodies.
At the outset, Surendar Valasai said that his Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is taking keen interest in the Human Rights Policy as protection and promotion of Human Rights are among his top priorities.
He provided a background to the Policy and shared that draft Sindh Human Rights Policy focuses on the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights in compliance with the Fundamental Rights (Article 8 to 28) enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, core United Nations (UN) human rights treaties ratified by Pakistan and other international obligations under Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) and Generalized Scheme of Preference (GSP-Plus) (2014-2023). lfilment
Noreen Bashir, the Secretary Human Rights department said that the Policy also focuses on the promotion, protection and fulfillment of Civil and Political Rights and Economic Social and Cultural Rights of various groups such as women, children, minorities, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, transgender persons, workers, juveniles, prisoners and so on. Also, it aims at building awareness on human rights.
Saeed Ghani, Minister for Labour and Human Resources advised circulating the draft policy with concerned stakeholders including government departments, civil society organizations and individuals for review and input to make the draft policy more inclusive and participatory before placing it before the Provincial Cabinet. The participants of the meeting unanimously endorsed his advice.
