Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) Sunday organised a colourful day-long festival here to commemorate International Day of Human Rights (HR) at Lok Virsa for creating awareness on laws and services to protect rights of general public.
The International HR day is celebrated annually on December 10 globally, the day, United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Various government departments and civil society organisation set up their stalls in the festival to apprise people regarding the services they are providing and guide them the procedure to approach in case of any HR violation.
Senator Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi inaugurated the festival while of Neatherland ambassador to Pakistan and Ministry of Human Rights Secretary Rabia Agha Javari and officials of various government and private departments also attended the function.
Addressing the participants, Senator Ghous said provision of human rights to every citizen of the country without any discrimination was the top priority of the incumbent government. He informed that to protect rights of vulnerable groups especially women and children, a number of laws and international conventions/treaties were ratified.
He shared that they were establishing a concrete network through setting up human rights committees at district level to approach women of rural areas as they were among the group whose rights were mostly violated due to lack of awareness and lack of resources.
For the purpose, he added, collaborative efforts should be ensured as only government or civil society could not achieve desired goals while working in isolation.
Ministry of Human Rights Secretary Rabia Agha said a toll-free help line 1099 was particularly working to give legal aid to the deprived segments of society while HR Action Plan was also promulgated with a huge investment of Rs 750 million to improve human rights situation in the country.
A national institute for human rights was also on cards, she said adding National Commission for Human Rights and National Commission on Status of Women were also working tirelessly to cover neglected areas.
National commission for rights of child would also be functional soon which would particularly focus on safeguarding rights of our future generation, giving a voice to the issues related to their health, education and other basic necessities of life.
Around 30 stalls were established in the festival whereas artists of Gilgit Baltistan, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab attired in their traditional dresses performed separate cultural performance. An instrumental performance on `Rubab and Tabla’ by Lok Virsa artist Adnan was also largely applauded by the audience. A musical show was also part of the festival.
People from different walks of life visited the place throughout the day taking keen interest in the material and briefing presented by the stall organisers for their education on legal channels.
