Minister for Human Rights and Women Development Anis Haroon directed the Human Rights Department director to provide immediate financial help to the 500 people registered with the department and who have completed the verification process.
This she said while holding a meeting to review the progress of the projects running under the department.
The minister said that the caretaker government had taken initiatives to enforce and establish Provincial Human Rights Commission per Sindh Human Rights Act 2011which was passed by the Sindh Assembly. The minister showed her surprise over the fact that no one had taken any initiative to enforce the said act. She further said that she would take up the matter with Sindh chief minister to fix the responsibility on the people involved in this negligence. She also directed the officers concerned to organise a provincial conference in Hyderabad in the next week for creating awareness among the masses about Sindh Human Rights Act 2011.
On the occasion, the Human Rights minister was informed that three projects, namely Human Rights Complaint Cell, Medical, Legal and Financial Aid Programme and Series of Human Rights awareness Campaigns were underway. She was further informed about the toll free number 0800-00011 that the department had activated in a bid to reach out to the masses. She was also informed that the cell was working from 9am to 8pm. The minister was apprised that the department had received about 2,000 applications for financial help, out of which 500 applications have been verified from Zakat Council and Social Welfare Officers of the respective districts.
The minister was further apprised that a panel of advocates was established in the department who were providing free legal aid to those who were unable to pay the hefty fees to private lawyers. The department would also organise free medical camp and a tender in this regard had already been publicised.