Zafrullah to head separate ministry of human rights

ISLAMABAD: The government has created a separate Ministry of Human Rights and appointed Barrister Zafrullah Khan as Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Human Rights with the status of a state minister.
According to a notification No 4-2/2015-Min.1 issued by Cabinet Secretariat, the prime minister has approved to bifurcate, Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights into two separate ministries namely the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Human Rights.
Similarly in another letter No 3-4/2013-Min-1 issued by the Cabinet Secretariat the prime minister has re-designate Barrister Zafrullah Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Division as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Human Rights Division with immediate effect with the status of Minister of State.
Zafarullah Khan who holds Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London, United Kingdom (1998) is a widely experienced in the field of law and justice. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Bar Vocational Studies, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom (1997); Bachelor in Laws, City University London, United Kingdom (1996); MSc, International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan (1984); Bachelor of Arts, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan (1981); degree of Shahadat-ul-Aalmia-fe-Uloom-e-Islam from Wifaaq-ul-Madaris-ud-Diniayah; and certificates in Hadith and Fiqh from Madrassah Mazhea-ul-Uloom, Umer Kot, Sindh.
He has attended many specialist courses including: Negotiations on Financial Transactions, United Nations Institute of Training and Research (2004); Alternate Dispute Resolution, United Nations Institute of Training and Research (2004); International Labour Standards Course for Judges and Lawyers, at International Training Centre, Turin, Italy (2005); Private International Law, The Hague Academy of International Law, Netherlands (2007); Globalization, Oxford University, UK (2011).
Khan has many distinctions to his credit: declared ‘competent’ in Bar Vocational Examination, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom; First position in LLB, City University, London, United Kingdom; First position and Certificate of Merit in MSc, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad; Second position and Merit Certificate in Bachelor of Arts, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan; Second position and Silver Medal in Intermediate Examination, Board of Education, Multan; Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for promotion of women rights by Ministry of Women Development, Pakistan (2004).
Barrister Khan remained lecturer, International Islamic University, Islamabad (Apr-85 to Oct 87). He joined the District Management Group of the Civil Services of Pakistan in 1987 and served in the Punjab and Sindh provinces in various administrative and judicial capacities. He resigned from the service in 2002 to work for Human Rights and Rule of Law. He remained a practicing lawyer from 2002 to 2013, specialising in constitutional law, international law and Human Rights. He served as Secretary to the government of Pakistan, Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights from October 2013 to November 2014 and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister/Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, and Economic Affairs.
He has worked as legal and human rights consultant on women, children and labour issues with different UN organisations, INGOs and NGOs. He was the team leader in DFID funded ‘Pakistan Family Protection Project’, Ministry of Women Development (2003-2004) and remained Legal Adviser, Ministry of Women Development (2003-6) dealing with UN reports and drafting/advocating pro-women legislation i.e. honour-killing, domestic violence, human trafficking. He prepared 7-volume study of ‘Child Related Laws of Pakistan’ for UNICEF and National Commission for Child Welfare and Development, government of Pakistan (2003-4). He carried out a study on Child Domestic Workers (2004); drafted ‘Pakistan Child Commission Act 2004’; reviewed Child Related Laws, Policies and Standards of Sindh/Pakistan (2004-6); and worked on child birth registration and child labour laws (2011). He implemented (with FPAP) an EU project on ‘Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building of Public Functionaries in Burn Cases’ (2004-5). He worked with ILO Pakistan (2004-2012) on elimination of bonded labour, prison labour practices, ILO Conventions 100 and 111, judicial remedies for bonded labour and prevention of harassment at workplace. He remained Legal Adviser of UN Habitat, Islamabad and prepared a book and manuals on land and property rights in Pakistan (2011-13). He was part of civil society campaign for ratification of Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (2005-2010).
Barrister Khan represented Pakistan before United Nations’ Committee on the Child in Geneva in 2003 and 2009. He was head of Pakistan delegation in 58th Session (March 2014) and 59th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (March 2015) New York. He was guest speaker in OXFAM regional conference on ‘Change-Maker for Domestic Violence, Colombo (March 2006). He presented papers on ‘International Child Abduction’ (2006) and ‘Community Payback Orders’ (2011) at International Judicial Conferences organised by Law and Justice Commission, Supreme Court of Pakistan. He has made presentations on innumerable international and national conferences on various themes of international relations, human rights and constitutional law.