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Thursday March 28, 2024

Enforced disappearances to be a crime

Chairing a high-level meeting on the GSP Plus at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here on Tuesday, the prime minister said steps should be taken to ensure complete elimination of bonded labour from all parts of the country.

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
January 30, 2019

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was Tuesday told that a legislation was underway to criminalise enforced disappearances and the process of introducing necessary amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code would be completed soon.

Chairing a high-level meeting on the GSP Plus at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here on Tuesday, the prime minister said steps should be taken to ensure complete elimination of bonded labour from all parts of the country.

He directed the Federal Bureau of Statistics to conduct a countrywide survey on child labour and formulate a comprehensive strategy to extricate such children from poverty and

ake measures for their education. Imran expressed the government's firm commitment to protect human rights and promote rights of minorities and marginalized sections of the society.

He said ensuring and safeguarding human rights was a major plank of Islam and was also enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan. He said steps should be taken to ensure complete elimination of bonded labour from all parts of the country.

The prime minister directed that all discriminatory signboards in clubs including those in Islamabad club, gymkhana and other public places be immediately removed. Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan and senior officials attended the meeting.

Discussing the progress made towards addressing human rights issues, the prime minister directed that steps be taken to ensure complete elimination of bonded labour from all parts of the country.

Moreover, the prime minister directed immediate removal of all kinds of discriminatory signboard in clubs (Islamabad club, gymkhana etc) and other public places that restricts free movement of maids, ayas and domestic servants.

The prime minister was told that a legislation was underway to criminalise enforced disappearances and the process of introducing necessary amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code would be completed soon.

The meeting was also briefed on progress made towards anti-torture, combating domestic violence and other human rights related issues. He reiterated that the government was firmly committed to protecting human rights and promoting the rights of minorities and marginalized sections of society. On this occasion, the prime minister was briefed on progress made towards anti-torture, restricting death penalty, combating domestic violence and other human rights related issues.

He also chaired a meeting of Task Force on Technology Driven Knowledge Economy at the PMO. It was attended by Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Planning, Development & Reform Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Information Technology Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Vice Chairman of Taskforce Professor Dr. Attaur Rehman, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Tariq Binori, CEO Ignite Yousuf Hussain, representatives of business community and industrialists and federal secretaries of ministries concerned.

Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman gave a detailed presentation on transformation towards technology-driven economy. The prime minister was briefed on ways and means and strategy to promote technology-driven economy with enhanced allocations to higher education, technical skills development of human resource, promotion of digitalization, promotion of AI (Artificial Intelligence) education and skills.

He said the government was focusing on shift towards technology to transform economy and capitalize huge human resource potential of the country. He emphasized that development in all sectors was dependent on adaptation and use of technology that will ultimately improve governance and benefit the masses. Senior Research Manager IBM Kenya Dr Charity Wayua also called on the prime minister. Finance Minister Asad Umar and Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood were also present during the meeting. Dr. Charity Wayua also shared Kenya’s experience of improving EoDB.