Human rights activists during a protest rally under International Human Rights Day slogan "Our Rights Our Freedom Always" urged the government to establish a independent National Commission on Minorities immediately to monitor the state of minority rights in Pakistan. HR activists said the government must also approve legislation to prevent domestic violence, enforced conversion and violence perpetuated by the state machinery to make these acts punishable offence.
The participants of protest rally shouted slogans against human rights abuses being committed in the society. They also expressed grave concern on the dismal situation of human rights in the country and sought the urgent attention of the government, state institutions, political parties and all other stakeholders to pay attention. The rally and demonstration was organised by the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM), Peace and Human Development (PHD) Foundation, in collaboration with the Adara Samaji Behbood (ASB), Peace for Nation International (PNI), Beacon Foundation and Pakistan Gender Coalition (PGC).
Speaking on the occasion, AWAM Director Nazia Sardar said, "The government must prioritize recognition of unregistered women workers engaged in informal sectors as part of labour force, and should ratify ILO convention No 177 and No 189 dealing with home-based workers and domestic workers, and ensure its proper implementation so as to guarantee women's access to social security benefits." "The Constitution of the country guarantees gender equality, and enables the state to make any special provision for the protection of women. The state must play an active role in implementing laws to ensure that women in Pakistan are able to lead a dignified and empowered life that is the basic fundamental right of every human being," she added.
Director PHD Suneel Malik said, "Pakistan has already lost the membership of Human Rights Council under UN, therefore the government must ensure compliance with Pakistan's international obligations under human rights and labour rights treaties to maintain GSP Plus status." Suneel said, "The state of minority rights & child rights is pathetic due to lack of legislation for crimes against children and minorities, therefore, the government must establish independent national commissions to monitor the state of minority and child rights, and make efforts for the promotion and protection of their rights."
A human rights activist, Naseem Anthony said that discrimination on different grounds is the root cause of conflicts in Pakistan, which causes violence in the society, therefore, the educational curricula should be purged of all kinds of literature inciting hatred so that it promotes values of peace and respect for human rights. "The provision of human rights to marginalized groups is ineffective unless we change our behaviours, because legislation alone will not change the state of affairs.