Task force on human rights at provincial, district level proposed

Islamabad: Members of the National Task Force on Human Rights have proposed establishing task forces on human rights at provincial and districts level to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of human rights laws.

They shared these proposals at a meeting of National Task Force for Human Rights held by the Ministry of Human Rights. The meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Tarrar and was spearheaded by Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Human Rights A D Khwaja. The Task force also called for establishing the Commission for Minority Rights in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs besides emphasising on harmonising the legal age of marriage nationwide to 18 years. The meeting expressed concern over the incidents of mob violence, hate speech, and youth radicalisation and recommended devising strategies to address these tendencies at every level.

Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of Children Ayesha Raza Farooq suggested amending the PPC and make national identity cards mandatory for marriage to combat child labour and underage marriages. She also stressed for harmonising the laws related to child rights and child protection. About harmonizing the legal age marriage to 18 for children nationwide, the Secretary MoHR was asked to convene a separate meeting with all representatives.

The NCHR Chairperson emphasised the importance of implementing laws effectively and establishing protection centres to safeguard transgender rights. She also voiced concerns about rising youth radicalisation and societal intolerance, stressing the need for equitable access to law and equal protection for all, regardless of religion.

The Task Force expressed deep appreciation for the indispensable role of the National Commission for Human Rights in safeguarding and advancing human rights. A separate meeting was proposed to devise a strategy to curb mob violence and hate speech on social media, along with initiatives for youth de-radicalisation. Regarding child labour, it was suggested to amend the PPC to standardise the legal age as 18. It was also recommended to make national identity cards mandatory for marriage to prevent underage marriages.