Parliamentary working group launched

LAHORE: A parliamentary working group was launched here to strengthen legislative oversight in Punjab.

The parliamentary working group is a multi-party group comprised of Members of Punjab Assembly from different political parties to work on the issues of peace and sustainable development in Punjab through legislative oversight.

As a first phase, an NGO organised capacity building workshop of MPAs of legislative oversight tools and National Action Plan to counter violent extremism in Punjab. A total of 66 MPAs of nine districts of South Punjab, eight senior officials of Punjab Assembly and six senior officials of Home Department attended the capacity building sessions.

Syed Kausar Abbas, the NGO’s Executive Director, told the media in a press conference that in the first phase of capacity building sessions, 66 MPAs elected from the nine districts of South Punjab were chosen to build their capacity on National Action Plan to counter violent extremism in Punjab.

These districts included Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Lodhran, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar and Rajanpur. A multi-party working group is established in the Punjab Assembly.

rights activists: A nationwide survey, conducted by Shirkat Gah to know the threats human rights activists face, revealed Tuesday that 51 percent human rights activists working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receive threats because of their work.

The survey was conducted under a project of Shirkat Gah ‘Securing Activists for Freedom and Empowerment of Women & Girls’ (SAFE) which aimed to protect women’s rights in country. The survey report was presented in a ceremony organised on Tuesday here at a local hotel. Farida Shaheed, executive director of Shirkat Gah, presented the survey report.