The lack of cooperation from all provincial governments has been causing a delay of the last one-and-a-half-year in the implementation of action plan for human rights. Ministry of Human Rights officials informed this to National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights that met here in the Parliament House with MNA Babar Nawaz Khan in the chair.
The officials informed the committee members that relevant departments of all the provincial governments are neither cooperating nor responding to their queries regarding implementation of the action plan. The committee members decided unanimously to call on all the provincial chief ministers to push the matter and ensure smooth implementation of the action plan. In February last year, the federal government unveiled an ambitious 16-point action plan for protection and promotion of human rights in the country, but no concrete steps have been taken so far to ensure their implementation.
The six thematic areas in the action plan which cover all human rights dimensions include policy and legal reforms, implementing key human rights priorities, cross cutting interventions for promotion and protection of human rights, International/UN treaty implementation, institutional interventions and implementation and monitoring mechanism.
Under the plan, fund for free legal aid to the poor victims of human rights violations was to be established and all possible measures would be taken for speedy justice for victims through strengthening of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, etc, in addition to improve forensic sciences, upgrade physical facilities and equipment to investigate gender based violence (GBV) and crimes on scientific grounds, but little has been done so far.
The director general Ministry of Human Rights informed the committee members that they have established helpline for free of cost legal advice to the human rights violation cases and referral for redressal. He added that total calls received so far are 74,098 and legal advice was provided to 2,644 victims. He also said that an implementation cell is also being established by the ministry to resolve all the complaints regarding violation of human rights.
During the meeting, the chairman of the committee revealed that an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) collected around Rs 2 billion and 50 kilograms gold from Pakistanis for Syrian refugees, but this has yet to be delivered to the persons in distress.
Babar Nawaz said that he is investigating the matter and collecting all the relevant evidence about the INGO. "I have got some proofs and will reveal name of the INGO after verification of all the proofs," he said, adding that he would also take up the matter with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. He also revealed that he knew a family who donated seven kilograms gold to the INGO, and all the donations collected are yet to be delivered to the Syrian refugees.
The committee also took notice of the incident in Abbottabad where a boy was tied to a donkey for an hour and dragged to death by a landowner for straying onto his farmland. The committee has also sought a detailed report about the incident from relevant provincial departments for further action against the accused.