Justice Chohan says NCHR permitted to act against HR violations in Fata

PESHAWAR: The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Chairman Justice (R) Ali Nawaz Chohan has said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor has granted permission to the commission for taking action against violation of human rights in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor has accepted my request to allow NCHR to take action against violation of human rights in Fata,” he told reporters after his meeting with Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.

He said the Governor had also issued directions to KP chief secretary for taking necessary steps in this regard.

Justice ® Ali Nawaz Chohan termed the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) as the main hurdle in ensuring the protection of fundamental human rights in Fata. “I have time and again written letters to the federal government for abolition of the FCR and extending fundamental human rights to Fata like other parts of the country,” he said. He added that it was the duty of NCHR to protect the rights of life and liberty of the citizens in Pakistan.

He said that importance was being given to human rights at the international level. “The countries were recognised at the international level by the criteria of their good policies related to human rights of the citizens,” he pointed out.

“We are taking all the stakeholders into confidence about human rights in order to make the best amendments in the Constitution,” he said.

The chairman NCHR also visited the abodes of the transgender community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa located in Gulbahar locality and in Iqbal Plaza and the adjacent plazas on Dilazak Road to listen to their problems.

“I have taken up the issues of the members of transgender community with the Governor and high-ups of the provincial government,” he said.