Orientation on KP HRs Policy 2018: Minister says human rights subject being introduced in curriculum

PESHAWAR: Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights, Sultan Muhammad Khan, said on Wednesday that human rights subject was being introduced in the curriculum.

"Working paper is being prepared by the Directorate of Human Rights and consultation with the textbook boards is going on to introduce a separate subject on human rights awareness for the students from primary level up to higher," he said while addressing the orientation event titled "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Human Rights Policy 2018."

The Directorate of Human Rights had organised the event in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. Sultan Muhammad said Prime Minister Imran Khan in his first speech had cited the example of the Madina State in a bid to work for improving the status of destitute in the society. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the first province that enacted the "Pakhtunkhwa Promotion, Protection and Enforcement of Human Rights Act, 2014" after devolution of the powers to the provinces.

Under the act, he said, the government established the Directorate of Human Rights and to take up the cases of human rights violations. "I have asked the directorate to inform me about every case of human rights violation. The government should be a party in every such case as the helpless victims have no mechanism and resources to deal the violators," the minister said. He added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the first province that introduced the database system for recording and reporting the human rights cases with the assistance of UNDP. The minister said that through this system the provincial government would rely on facts and figures and prepare reports about the cases of human rights violations as per the international treaties for Geneva Convention on Human Rights.

"I have got approved the Domestic Violence Bill from the cabinet. It will now go to the provincial assembly for enactment of the law on domestic violence and it could be referred to the committee concerned," the minister explained.

About the KP Human Rights Policy 2018, he said the government would appreciate the suggestions from the public on Human Rights Policy for to improve it. He said the government had started consultation with the Inspector General of Police to strengthen the Public Safety Commissions and introduce human rights in the police rules for awareness of the police about human rights. Ghazanfar Ali, Director of Directorate of Human Rights, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighted the role and functions of the directorate.

He said that a toll free helpline had been launched to receive complaints about the human rights violations. The official said the directorate would launch an SMS awareness campaign of human rights in the province.

The directorate is taking action against the violators under the due course of law, he added. Rukhshanda Naz, a noted human rights activist and senior UNDP trainer, highlighted key features of the Human Rights Policy about civil and political rights, women and children rights, transgender persons and minorities' rights, senior citizens and human rights defenders rights.

However, she suggested reviewing the advisory committee and awareness programmes about human rights in the province. Non-government and government organisations working for human rights, women and children and transgender persons' rights in the province including Blue Veins, Sparc, Khwendo Kor, Directorate of Human Rights, Human Rights Commissions of Pakistan and others had set up stalls on the sidelines of the orientation. They had displayed reports and booklets on human rights, women and children rights for the participants.