Karachi, November 14, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Human Rights Department of Sindh has decided to consult with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and other civil society stakeholders before approving the provincial cabinet. The decision was taken at a consultative meeting on the draft human rights policy, chaired by Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant on Human Rights Surendra Valasai. Sindh Minister of Labor and Human Resources Saeed Ghani, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh Bangal Khan Mehr and representatives of other departments also participated in the meeting. Sindh Human Rights Department has drafted the said policy with the cooperation of UNDP and several human rights activists.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Sindh’s Special Assistant on Human Rights, Surinder Vilasai, said that his party chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is deeply interested in human rights policy, whose top priorities are the protection of human rights and Promotion included. He said that the draft Sindh Human Rights Policy is sustainable under the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Articles 8 to 28), UN human rights treaties ratified by Pakistan, and international obligations.
Focuses on the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights in line with the Development Goals (2015-2030) and the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP-Plus) (2014-2023). The Secretary of Human Rights Department Noreen Bashir told the meeting that the focus of this policy is to promote, protect and implement the civil and political rights and economic socio-cultural rights of women, children, minorities, senior citizens, disabled persons, transgender, juvenile prisoners. Also focused on He further said that the purpose of this policy is also to create awareness about human rights.
Participating in the meeting, Minister of Labour and Human Resources of Sindh Saeed Ghani suggested that by presenting the draft of the policy before the provincial cabinet. It should first be circulated to relevant stakeholders, including government departments, civil society organizations and stakeholders, for review and feedback to make it more inclusive and participatory.
On which the participants of the meeting unanimously supported the proposal of the Provincial Minister of Labour and Human Resources. Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister for Wildlife and Inquiries and Anti-Corruption Bangal Khan Mehr, who was present in the meeting, suggested that the draft policy should be sent to the secretaries and ministers of all provincial departments to get their opinions.
Addressing the meeting, Surendra Vilasai further said that human rights is a complex phenomenon with various cross-cutting themes and issues, hence the efforts of all relevant government departments and institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights should be coordinated.
A comprehensive policy framework is needed to do this. He said that the purpose of implementing this policy Government of Sindh has to assign the responsibility to mobilize all the concerned departments for the measures in future. He said that the draft policy will be sent to all stakeholders, including those working on the rights and issues of women, children, minorities, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, transgenders, juvenile and adult prisoners, etc.
For more information, contact:
PPP Media Cell (Sindh)
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
Peoples Secretariat Shikarpur Colony,
Behind Mazar-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Karachi, Pakistan
Cell: +92-305-3370383
Email: contact@ppp-tu.com
Website: https://www.ppp.org.pk