Business community must play its proactive role in promoting the soft image of Pakistan at international level as it is directly linked with our exports, said Malik Kamran Azam, Joint Secretary Ministry of Human Rights.
He was addressing the business community of Faisalabad at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI). He explained the salient features of a new program on "Businesses and Human Rights" launched by this ministry. He said that basic idea behind this program is to further improve the HR situation in Pakistan in order to counter negative and politically motivated propaganda against Pakistan which is detrimental to our global economic interests. In this connection a draft of National Action Plan (NAP) regarding human rights is being prepared to collect baseline data in consultation with the stakeholders.
Regarding the role of Ministry of Human Rights in this connection, he said that its aims and objectives are directly and indirectly linked with many other ministries. "We have to defend Pakistan in various forums and organizations at the global level and hence this ministry has to take care of these issues also", he told. He said that our economic rivals are continuously hatching conspiracies to tarnish the soft image of Pakistan which in return inflict colossal loss to our economy and exports. He said that Pakistan is not bad performer as regards Human Rights but due to negative propaganda we have to give repeated explanations at different national and international forums.
He said that the Pakistan has sufficient laws to protect basic human rights in addition to the structural and institutional forums for its implementation. However, being a signatory of 27 international treaties, agreements and protocols, we must be complaint to all these laws. He told that a well-conceived conspiracy was launched against Pakistan to damage its economic and political interest in the international community and hence this ministry was entrusted a task to prepare a comprehensive study on it to dispel the negative impact of propaganda in addition to protecting the legitimate interests of the business community.
Continuing, Malik Kamran said that state is bound to provide protection to the business community while in return business community is deemed to extend respect to basic Human Rights. He told that under the National Action Plan on Businesses and Human Rights, a basic data is being compiled so that anomalies could be removed and a benefiting response could be given to our archrivals.
He further told that first draft of National Action Plan will be presented to the federal and provisional governments within 3 months. "Later on, the suggestions of the business community could also be included in it", he told and added that a national level debate would be arranged before seeking its final approval from the federal cabinet.
Regarding GSP-plus, he told that its review is due in January this and upon its recommendation EU will decide to continue this special status to Pakistan during next year. He further told that meeting of Human Rights Commission is being held every year in Geneva to review the HR situation across the globe.