The Ministry of Human Rights, in collaboration with several NGOs, held a walk for human rights in the country on Thursday.
Acting PRCS Chairperson Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar, Senator Tahira Latif, Human Rights Commission Director Farkhanda Iqbal, human rights activists and NGO’s workers participated in the walk. The walk was organised by the Ministry of Human Rights in collaboration with the chief commissioner office, Islamabad. The participants of the walk, most of them women, marched from China Chowk to D-Chowk in front of the Parliament House. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of the government commitment to human rights in the country. They also chanted slogans, “Aurat Ittehad Zindabad” and “Pakistani Aurat Zindabad.” They also demanded President Asif Ali Zardari regularise the employees working under Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Lady Health Workers programme on contract basis. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar said the situation of human rights in Pakistan was complex because of the country’s diversity, overpopulation, its status as a developing country and a sovereign, Islamic republic as well as an Islamic democracy with a mixture of both Islamic and colonial secular laws. She said the present PPP-led government had taken many steps and various bills had also been passed. She appreciated the government commitment to secure human rights and rights of working women in the country.
