Human Rights Division budget focus on salaries, perks

No significant funding for projects, National Commission on Human Rights

ISLAMABAD: Human rights as a subject, has long remained neglected by subsequent governments. The focus of the current government seems no different, as reflected by allocations in the budget for FY 2016-17, presented on Friday.

Development budget

An ongoing scheme for the establishment of a helpline for legal advice on human rights, continuing from 2014, has been allocated Rs20 million in the development budget.

Supreme Court Bar Association President Barrister Ali Zafar expressed concern over the meagre amount, calling it just a drop in the ocean. He said the amount was insufficient to resolve various cases of violations of human rights, adding that the figure should have been manifold higher.

He lamented that the government, somehow, did not seem interested in empowering the newly-formed National Commission on Human Rights, as they had not been allocated any funds. “[The commission] need funds and control,” Zafar pointed out.

A new scheme for the establishment of National Institute of Human Rights has been allocated Rs150million, bringing the development budget to Rs170 million. Commenting on the institute, he said, it would probably deal with hiring manpower, renting the building and setting up administration.

Non-development budget

Meanwhile, the estimates of the amount required in the fiscal budget 2016-17 for salaries and other expenses of the human rights division, also present a gloomy picture.

Against a proposed estimate of Rs543.5 million under this head, an amount of Rs307.5 million has been allocated for employee-related expenses. These include pay of officers and other staff, allowances, operating expenses, employee retirement benefits, physical assets and repairs and maintenance.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2016.