The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights has observed that the credential of the relevant Ministry of Human Rights and National Institute on Human Rights Cell should be identified as separate bodies.
The committee led by the Chairmanship of MNA Babar Nawaz Khan undertook the scrutiny of the budgetary proposals of the Ministry, as required under rule 201(6) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, relating to the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the Financial Year 2016-17, functions and performance of the Ministry and working of National Commission on Human Rights.
The Ministry of Human Rights briefed on the scrutiny of the budgetary proposals of the Ministry relating to the PSDP for the Financial Year 2016-17. Earlier, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) chaired by Captain Muhammad Safdar (R), approved a total outlay of Rs 2.56 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for fiscal year 2016-17 against Rs 922.804 million earmarked for the current financial year.
Ms Nafisa Shah, MNA, during the briefing session, pointed out that the briefing on PSDP for Financial Year 2016-17 by the Ministry of Human Rights and National Institute of Human Rights are duplicated in view of similarity in names. The committee observed that institutions should be identified separately in order to avoid duplication.
The Standing Committee recommended that Helpline conception may be publicised / advertised for information of the ordinary mass / public and the same may preferably be publicized in Urdu language. The Standing Committee also recommended that a briefing on the National Commission on the Rights of the Child Bill, 2016 may be given to the Christian Community as well. MNAs Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub, Ms Phyllis Azeem, Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Amra Khan, Dr Nafisa Shah, Dr Shazia Sobia, Kishwar Zahra, Aliya Kamran Murtaza and Minister for Human Rights, Ex-officio Member attended the meeting.