Govt focuses to enforce human rights' protection laws: Mazari
Shireen Mazari said campaigns have been launched to create awareness amongst the people
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari has said the government is focusing on implementation of laws pertaining to the protection of human rights.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Monday, she said child domestic labor has been proscribed through a piece of legislation. She said the provincial governments will also be requested to follow the suit.
The minister said we have one of the most progressive law regarding the rights of transgenders. She said progress has been made to implement it. A transgender center is being established to extend help to this community.
She said under Juvenile Justice System Act, juvenile courts have been established in the federal capital, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The minister said that other laws such as those relating to the senior citizens, journalists, persons with disabilities and minorities are also on the cards.
Shireen Mazari said campaigns have been launched to create awareness amongst the people about child abuse and women inheritance rights.
Earlier, Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) launched its annual performance report 2020 at an interactive media engagement session held on Monday.
The report highlightsed significant initiatives undertaken to protect and promote rights of women, children, persons with disabilities, transgenders, and other vulnerable population groups.
The report also included chapters on the Ministry’s progress in projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP); special initiatives launched to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the engagements of the Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari.
Speaking at the session, Minister Shireen Mazari highlighted the progress of Ministry in terms of strengthening grievance redressal mechanisms including the establishment of the 1099 national helpline application as well as the Zainab alert application on the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal for missing children.
Minister Shireen Mazari also underlined initiatives in terms of overcoming gaps in legislation to ensure that the rights of citizens, particularly the vulnerable, are protected. Recently, the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance 2020 was enacted to protect the rights of women who have been victims of gender-based violence.
Video animations developed by the Ministry to raise awareness about these initiatives as well as the recently launched Human Rights Resource Portal were also showcased at the event.
The amendment to include child domestic labour as a form of hazardous activity under schedule I of the Employment of Children Act 1991 is also an important legislative milestone.
She further spoke about the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act and the ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act that were enacted in 2020.
Minister also apprised about special initiatives undertaken to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
This included upgrading the 1099 helpline, an extensive awareness campaign targeting vulnerable social groups, and special research undertaken including a policy brief on the Gendered Impact and Implications of COVID-19 in Pakistan, and a comprehensive report on “COVID-19 and Disaster Vulnerabilities in Pakistan: A human rights-based analysis.”
