Islamabad, the 27th October, 2017.  33rd meeting of the Standing Committee on M/o Human Rights met today at 10:00 am in the Committee Room of PIPS, Parliament Lodges, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Babar Nawaz Khan, MNA.

The meeting commenced with recitation from the Holy Quran. The Committee confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting which was held on 28th August, 2017. The Committee recommended that “The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2017 be withdrawn as the Honorable Speaker has given his consent for withdrawal of the Bill.

The Committee expressed its displeasure on the absence of the representative of Foreign Affairs in the meeting as he had to brief the Committee on Agenda Item No. iv regarding discussion on the Human Rights violation in occupied Kashmir by the Indian Security Forces. The Committee recommended that a letters should be written to foreign Affairs, Minister for Human Rights and Prime-Minister of Pakistan that a representative of the Foreign Affairs could not attend the meeting to brief the Committee with reference to Human Rights violation in occupied Kashmir. The Committee also expressed displeasure on the absence of officers from M/o Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan. An hon’able Member suggested to bring resolution from the Standing Committee on Human Rights in the House on Human Rights violation in Occupied Kashmir by the Indian Forces. The Committee recommended that a resolution from the Standing Committee on Human Rights in the House on Human Rights violation in Occupied Kashmir by the Indian Forces should be brought in the House as the Kashmir Resolution is the key to peace, prosperity and stability in South Asia.

The Committee was given briefing by Director Labour, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Agenda Item No.v regarding discussion on the Human Rights violation by mills owners of Hattar Industrial Areas, for not paying wages (as per Labour Policy of the Government) to the labours but the committee members dissatisfied on his briefing and expressed their concerns over the performance of the Labour Department, KPK. The Committee also expressed concern over the issue of falling of seven tones of melted iron of a factory on twenty labours in KPK and no report was given. The Committee recommended that a complete report on the issue should be given to the Committee after proper investigation in its next meeting. The Secretary, M/o Human Rights gave suggestion to make Environmental Audit of Industries in various Industrial Zones of Pakistan upon which the Committee recommended that Environmental Audit of Industries in various Industrial Zones of Pakistan should be made. The Committee recommended to call the rest of 16 industrial zones in the country to bring report with reference to their environment in its next meeting. The committee decided to defer the agenda with reference to Labour, Kashmir and Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad for its next meeting

The Committee further recommended that contract system in the factories/industries should be abolished and proper salary of Rs.15,000/- should be given to the each laborer in the factories. The Committee also expressed displeasure on the establishment of a school beneath the mill due to which students have become sick of asthmatic disease and black water of industry is running near the school and they breathe in the polluted air which is the violation of human rights. The Committee also recommended that a complete report of that school located beneath the mill in KPK should be given to the Committee in its next meeting. The Committee recommended for a surprise visit of that school along-with ADC, Hatar KPK.

The meeting was attended by Sayed Essa Nori, Begum Tahira Bukhari, Ms. Surriya Asghar,     Ms. Asiya Naz Tanoli, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Dr. Shazia Sobia, Mr. Sajid Nawaz, Mr. Kanwar Naveed Jameel, Ms. Aliya Kamran Murtaza, Ms. Naseema Hafeez Panezai, Ms Kiran Haider,   Ms. Phyllis Azeem, MNAs, Minister for Human Rights and senior officers from the provincial departments of KPK, Ministry of Human Rights and its attached department.