Islamabad, January 23rd 2017; 20th meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Rights was held today under the Chairmanship of Mr. Babar Nawaz Khan, MNA.

2.      The meeting was started with the recitation from the Holy Quran, after introduction of the participants. The Committee decided although a privilege motion had been already moved against the Mr. Justice ® Ali Nawaz Chohan, Chairman, NCHR, in the National Assembly Secretariat; even then, the Committee allowed Mr. Chohan to join the today meeting in the National interest. Then the Committee decided to proceed with the given agenda.  

3.       Agenda Item No. i

The Committee unanimously confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting held on 16.01.2017.

4.       Agenda Item No. ii

          The representatives from the Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman, NCHR briefed the Committee about the present status of Pakistani initial report on the implementation of the ICCPR. The Committee was informed by Ministry of Human Rights that pertaining to compliance of this report, Ministry of Human Rights had been written many letters/reminders to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control and all Provincial Governments, but so far they did not given their response, that’s why; the aforesaid report is going delay. The Committee examined the matter thoroughly and directed that all the concerned should be responsed properly, so that, the report must be submitted within given time. Further, the Committee recommended that before signing any International Treaties on Human Rights by the Government of Pakistan both Parliamentary Committees on Human Rights in Senate and National Assembly must be taken on board.

5.       Agenda Item No. iii

        As per agenda the Committee invited the representative from Government of Baluchistan to brief the Committee about “Quetta Carnage” issue, but unfortunately no relevant person was available in the meeting. Therefore, the Committee showed its displeasure and decided to issue Summon to the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and

 

Secretary Health, Government of Baluchistan to present in the next meeting in person. The Committee also acknowledged that the Government of Baluchistan had been called three times before for giving their briefing on this issue but they did not bother Then, the Chairman, NCHR briefed the Committee on this issue but he could not satisfy to the Committee with the given briefing, the Committee directed him to submit comprehensive report with recommendations on this issue in the next upcoming meeting.

6.      The Hon. MNAs/Members Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub, Begum Tahira Bukhari, Ms. Surriya Asghar, Ms. Kiran Haider, Ms. Asiya Naz Tanoli, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Dr. Shazia Sobia, Ms. Musarat Rafique Mahesar, Ms. Munaza Hassan, Mr. Sajid Nawaz, Ms. Aliya Kamran Murtaza and Mrs. Naseema Hafeez Panezai were attended the meeting besides the senior officers from the Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Commission for Human Rights with their staff.