SHRC sets up regional office in Sukkur

With the expanding scope of human rights discourse and consequently increased reporting of rights violation cases from upper Sindh, the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has set up its regional office in Sukkur.

Headed by Justice (retd) Majida Razvi, the SHRC was established in May 2013 under the Sindh Protection of Human Rights Act 2011. Since then, the body has been striving for the promotion and protection of human rights in the province under its mandate.

The opening of the regional office in Sukkur will help people living in the districts of upper Sindh to register their complaints there. “Now people living in upper Sindh do not have to travel all the way to Karachi to inform the body about their grievances. It was also the demand of the upper Sindh people to establish an SHRC office in the region,” said an official.

The commission admits that upper Sindh is quite a volatile region when it comes to human rights abuses. “The human rights violations, including the tribal system and its consequent tribal clashes, anti-women practices like Karo-Kari, sang chati, child marriages, and domestic violence and other issues such water, environment, education, and health are quite prevalent in upper Sindh,” it said in a statement.

The commission has helped hundreds of victims of human rights violations while operating from its head office in Karachi. “The Sindh government has taken drastic steps in the institutionalisation of human rights in the province and the establishment of the SHRC is among one those to promote, protect and advocate human rights in the province.”