Skip to main content

International Human Rights Day in Pakistan





The theme of the 2011 International Human Rights Day, observed annually on December 10, is: Celebrate Human Rights. It marks the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1950) against abuse and violations of human values.

Human rights defenders, individually or in organizations, anonymous or celebrated, work within their communities, across their countries, or globally to end discrimination by campaigning for equitable and effective laws, reporting, and investigations into human rights violations – and to support victims of violations. They demand accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action.

The Government of Pakistan has a Ministry of Human Rights. Its vision is: “In order to fulfil the dream of Shaheed Mohtama Benazir Bhutto, the Ministry of Human Rights is committed to creating a society where democracy would be the tradition, peace would be the culture, and protection of human rights would always be the top priority.” The Ministry of Human Rights is committed to promote the equality of genders, access to equal opportunities, services, goods and privileges, non-discrimination in work and ensuring social justice for all citizens of the country.

The government, in media announcements, lists some of their achievements toward human rights as: the Right to Information and Right to Education have been included as fundamental rights in the Constitution; unanimous approval of Anti-Women Practices Bill from the National Assembly; approval of Women in Distress and Detention Fund from the National Assembly; the National Commission on Women (NCW) Bill presented in the National Assembly; awareness material on several Human Rights issues have been extensively disseminated in different regions of the country; a number of advocacy events such as seminars, conferences, and symposia; and many international Human Rights treaties including the Convention Against Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, or Punishments (CAT) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICPR) have been ratified.

The government pledges to strengthen peace and democracy, and resist violation of human rights on all levels.

(http://www.mohr.gov.pk/)



MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh  (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...