KP launches first ever Human Rights Policy

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the first Human Rights Policy has recommended making human rights training part of the police curriculum.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi, launched the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Rights Policy 2018 at a hotel here on Thursday. The policy has been prepared by the KP Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Department and KP Human Rights Directorate.

The technical assistance was extended by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

In his speech, the minister for law and human rights said major international treaties, which Pakistan is a signatory and has successfully ratified, are critical to the formulation of this policy. However, he said, both the nine national and 16 provincial laws were also adopted, which are critical to the formulation of this policy. He said that it was the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led KP government that adopted the first ever human rights policy in the province and country as well.

The policy covered different areas including civil and political rights, women, children, transgender persons, minorities, senior citizens, people with disabilities and human rights defenders.

Enhancement of budgetary resources for police was recommended to increase their investigative capacity.

“Human rights training shall be made part of the police training curriculum and these trainings shall focus on Pakistan’s international human rights commitments and will be aligned with international best practices,” it was recommended in the policy for police.

Of prosecution, the policy stated that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa shall adopt legislation, which shall address the issue of torture and custodial deaths. It was also recommended that the Prosecution Department, in addition to its other legal functions, is mandated to assist, supervise and guide the Police Department in the investigation process subsequent to the lodging of First Information Report (FIR).