KARACHI:The Human Rights Department of Government of Sindh is observing a Human Rights week in the province starting from Monday in connection with the International Human Rights Day being observed all over the world on 10th Decembers.
Addressing a joint press conference along with members of human rights and civil society activists at Karachi Press on Monday, Mr Surendar Valasai, and Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister spelled out the week-long programmes pertaining to the Human Rights Week.
On the 10th of December, the main function would be held in Karachi. This will be a seminar on the topic “Human Rights Reforms in Sindh: Context, Challenges and Way Forward”. Mr Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party will preside over the seminar, whereas, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh will be the chief guest.
Mr. Valasai said Human Rights experts, lawyers and journalists are invited to address this seminar. The main objective of observing week long activities is to highlight the importance of protection and promotion of human rights and create human rights awareness. Tomorrow (on 7th) the department will organize an awareness walk from the Sindh Assembly building to Karachi Press Club. “We have invited all human rights, women’s rights and labour rights organizations, lawyers’ bodies and civil society organizations to participate in this walk.”
On 8th December, we are going to organize a series of seminars on Human Rights in Hyderabad, Sukkur and other major cities in which speakers from various districts of Sindh would speak and highlight the human rights issues in the province. Valasai said on 9th December, the department will launch the human rights awareness campaign in collaboration with Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) and Sindh Madistraul Islam University. This campaign will continue throughout year and we will try to reach major universities and colleagues in the first phase, he added.
He said human rights is an important subject for any society to progress and in the challenging environment where proactive approach is must. “We all have to work together to root out hatred, extremism and intolerance from the society and build a peaceful society where human rights of all citizens are respected.”
The Special Assistant to Sindh CM said the Human Rights department has already announced an Essay Competition for all students of Sindh to write essays in three languages (English, Urdu and Sindhi) on the topic “Importance of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its relevancy with Human Rights contexts in Pakistan”. We have received very good essays and a jury is reviewing all the submissions and results would be announced soon.
He spelled out the measures of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party for upholding human rights. The PPP’s first government of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has the credit to get passed a consensus Constitution of Pakistan in 1973 from the Parliament, which has provided almost all the fundamental rights outlined in the UDHR.
Another credit goes to the PPP, as its previous governments played a key role in the passage of the landmark 18th Amendment in the Constitution that paved the way to provincial autonomy and implementation of human rights related provisions at the province. Majority of International Human Rights Conventions were ratified during the various PPP governments.
He said his department has recently established Human Rights Management System with the support of UNDP, which would further help in data collection and reporting on human rights issues. “We are well aware of the challenges being faced by people in Sindh and our government is making. The press conference was also attended by the Secretary of the department Jawed Sibghatullah Mahar, noted artist Ayoub Khoso, human rights activists Mahnaz Rahman and Naghma Shaikh.
