PM reaffirms pledge to equal rights

Highlights initiatives for communities' empowerment

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed on Tuesday the government's commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all communities in Pakistan, emphasizing the protection of basic human rights to enable them to thrive in various fields of life.

Addressing a ceremony held here in connection with the observance of International Human Rights Day, the prime minister said the day highlighted the government's commitment towards upholding the great cause of human rights and protecting them, besides empowering those communities of the country that needed protection under the challenging circumstances.

He said that all the communities living in Pakistan enjoyed equal rights.

"It is our priority and

the government is committed to providing opportunities to all on equal basis," he added.

The prime minister emphasized their commitment to doing more to uphold people's rights, enabling them to stand with pride before the nation, posterity, and all of humanity.

"It is a long journey to traverse", he said, adding that with collective efforts, they should move ahead; thrash out issues and carve out their way for their future generation and to meet the expectations of the people of the country.

The prime minister further recollected that as chief minister Punjab, though it was not his constitutional responsibility, he also supported residents of other provinces with various educational and financial initiatives.

He mentioned the steps taken during his tenures as chief minister which included Punjab Endowment Fund, award of scholarships and laptops on merit, in which all the provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir were included.

He also referred to establishment of center against women violence in Multan, Zaiwer-e-Taleem programme with scholarship in Southern Punjab, and initiatives to end brick kilns child labour. About 90,000 children were forced to brick kiln labour who were later enrolled in schools, he added.

Recently, the prime minister said, the federal government was sending 1,000 graduates from all parts of the country, including Gilgit Baltistan, to China to seek highest technical knowledge and education.

He also assured the law minister to take up the issue of stranded Pakistanis with his counterpart in Malaysia.

The prime minister commended the efforts of law minister and other stakeholders for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar, in his remarks, said that on 10 December, 1948, the world adopted the human rights declaration ensuring that there would be no discrimination among humans.

The minister reiterated commitment to remove the disparity among the society by upholding the basic human rights and stressed that they all had to discharge this onus as a mission.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Human Rights, in collaboration with all the provincial governments and Gilgit Baltistan, had been working on the set targets regarding women's rights.