President, PM reiterate resolve to uphold basic human rights

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday reiterated the government’s resolve to uphold basic human rights of all individuals regardless of caste, creed or any other consideration.
In a message on Universal Human Rights Day, the president said that respect for human rights was a fundamental aspect of Islam, which preaches deep respect for the rights of all human beings. “It upholds the eternal values of equal rights, social justice and peace, and banishes discrimination on the basis of class, colour or creed,” he said.
Zardari said the leaders and people of Pakistan had offered great sacrifices to ensure the basic right to the people to live in security and dignity.
The president said the present government had signed and ratified several conventions on human rights. “Of the nine core international human rights conventions, the government has ratified or signed seven,” he said. He expressed the confidence that the government would take appropriate steps to implement the conventions it had signed or ratified.
“Let us on this day also spare a thought to the vulnerable sections of society particularly the women and minorities. Let us pause and reflect how some laws have been misused against them,” he added. He called upon every individual to raise voice against the misuse of some laws against the women and minorities.
PRIME MINISTER: Separately, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf also issued a message on Human Rights Day, saying it “provides us an opportunity to take stock of the state of human rights and spread its awareness”. “This year, the spotlight remains on the rights of all people, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, minorities and the marginalised,” he added.
He said a progressive, balanced and just society was the one in which the rights of all citizens were safeguarded through political, legal, economic, cultural and social instruments and frameworks. For any state to achieve durable peace and foster democracy, it is imperative that it puts in place mechanism aimed at ensuring that rights of the people are protected, he said.
The prime minister said the Pakistani government was committed to upholding the rights of its people. He said the decision to set up a separate Ministry of Human Rights in 2008 at the federal level represented the government’s resolve to mainstream the human rights agenda into public policy.
He said that a few days ago, he had approved a proposal for the appointment of human rights defenders to provide easy, quick and free relief to the victims of human rights abuses.