Ombudsperson says harassment victims being helped

MINGORA: Anti-harassment ombudsperson KP Rukhshanda Naz on Wednesday said that cases related to human rights violations and harassment were being disposed of within two months to provide speedy and inexpensive justice to the victims.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Human Rights Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and local non-governmental organisations Lasoona, Nature Resource Development and WHH, she said that human rights were being violated in almost every department, particularly women were subjected to harassment.

However, she said, the government had made legislation in 2018 under which swift action was being taken if a person was harassed.

Rukhshanda Naz said that under the rules every department had been made bound to constitute a committee comprising one female and two male members to deal with cases of human rights violation and harassment.

She said that her office had disposed of thousands of cases related to human rights violations and harassment, adding that justice had been provided to affected women, children and even men.

Human Rights Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s, Aneela Ijaz said that the protection of human rights was the prime responsibility of the provincial government, for which cognizant steps had been taken at every level.

She said her department takes notice if human rights were violated or someone harassed, adding quick justice is provided to the victims.

Director, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission Ijaz Muhammad Khan, Tariq Javed, Azam Khan, Fazal Rahim Khan and others also spoke on the occasion.