Call for including Universal Declaration of Human Rights in textbooks

The Provincial Human Rights Vigilance Committee in their first meeting have suggested including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in textbooks and organising seminars and workshops across Sindh to create awareness about the human rights provisions in the constitution.

The Provincial Human Rights Vigilance Committee, a 23-member body formed by the Sindh Human Rights Department earlier this month, held its first meeting recently, with Special Assistant to Chief Minister Surendar Valasai in chair. The committee’s members and Sindh Human Rights Secretary Jawed Sibghatullah Mahar attended the meeting.

Valasai said that the main objective of the Provincial Human Rights Vigilance Committee is to ensure the protection of the rights provided to the people in the constitution.

Appreciating the suggestions of the committee members, the special assistant directed the human rights secretary to write to the education department to include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the syllabuses.

Valasai said that in many districts of Sindh, personal enmities lead to crimes. “There is a need to set up a fact-finding commission to meet the demands of justice,” he said. He added that human rights committees would soon be formed at district level.

On the request of the members, he said that smart ID cards should be issued to the committee’s members by the human rights department so that in case of any human rights violation, they could introduce themselves to the department concerned.

Valasai said that out of the nine UN Conventions on Human Rights, seven had been signed by the Government of Pakistan, of which five had been signed during the government of the Pakistan Peoples Party.

He said that the implementation of the human rights conventions would help in obtaining the GSP Plus status and also bring economic benefits of $1.5 billion (approximately Rs262 billion).

Earlier, Mahar had briefed the committee about the steps taken by the provincial government to protect human rights. He also briefed the members about the aims and objectives of the committee. During the meeting, various recommendations and suggestions were put forward by the members.

Committee member and senior journalist Tahir Hassan Khan said that seminars and workshops should be organised across the province to create awareness about the human rights provisions in the constitution, and also recommended celebrating International Human Rights Day on a large scale this year.

Another member, Nawaz Dhari, suggested that transgender persons and the disabled be included in the committee, while Ayub Khosa talked about the scope and working of the committee.