Kuala Lumpur, Pakistan attaches great importance to Universal Human Rights and has decided to organize a series of events to highlight importance of the protection and promotion of human rights amongst all segment of Pakistani society.
According to the High Commissioner for Pakistan, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Tahir Mahmud Qazi, Govt of Pakistan is celebrating the event from 10th to 17th December, 2009 with the active participation of all the Ministries, Department, Civil Right Organizations and Human Rights Activists throughout the country. The theme for this year celebration will be “Peace and Human Rights”.
The High Commissioner said that Pakistan was fully committed in promoting and protecting human rights of its citizens and was among the first few countries to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Pakistan has also ratified International Convection on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (ICED) Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, he added.
He said that Pakistan give great importance to the protection of women rights and has taken number of initiatives including, political empowerment of women which is manifested from the fact that currently there are 76 women legislatures in the National Assembly out of 342 and, on top of it,’ the Speaker of the National Assembly Mrs. Fehmida Mirza is a women legislature from the Rural constituency.
Mr. Tahir Qazi said that Pakistan also attaches great importance to protection of child rights, and in this direction, National Commission for Child Welfare and Development in collaboration with UNICEF has established “Children Protection, Monitoring and Data collection System” with the objectives to assess the situation of child rights in the country. Pakistan has also made progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals particularly those relating to Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) and infant mortality rate, he added.
The High Commissioner said that Pakistan’s constitution guarantees equal rights and status to all citizens, irrespective of religion, race, cost, colour or creed.
He said that in line with the constitutional provision, a high power National Commission for minorities has been established under the Chairmanship of Minister for Minorities Affairs to protect minorities’, religious, social and cultural rights. Although the minorities constitute 2.5% of the population, the government has fixed 5% quota for them in all Federal Services to provided them equal opportunities to grow and prosper.
The High Commissioner aid that Pakistan is party to the International Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination and is committed to implement the convention, in letter and spirit. Pakistan also supports Durban Declaration to combat and eliminate all forms and manifestation of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and relevant intolerance, he added.
The High Commissioner hoped that the 7-days celebration would help in bringing much needed awareness for protection and promotion of universal human right in Pakistan and around the world.
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