Rule of law: ‘Threats to democracy alarming’

Workshop participants discuss anti-govt protests in Islamabad.

LAHORE: Participants of a training workshop on Sunday expressed concern over some people’s willingness to dismiss democracy swiftly.

They were speaking at a workshop on Fundamental Human Rights and Rule of Law.

They discussed the ongoing anti-government protests in Islamabad and the country’s delicate democratic past.

The FreedomGate Pakistan, Alumni of International Academy for Leadership, Germany had organised the workshop, supported by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Teachers, doctors, NGO workers and students were among the participants.

The two-day workshop was organised to help the youth understand their own human rights while defending the rights of others.

Group presentations and discussions came up with suggestion on how to implement these ideas.

Separately, the Liberal Forum of Pakistan organised the launch of a book called Fundamental Rights in the Constitution and a seminar on Democracy and Fundamental Rights.

The speakers included IA Rehman, Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Ehsan Wyne, MPA Ayesha Javed, former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood, MPA Shehzad Munshi and Gul Farina, the editor of the book.

Rehman said human rights in Pakistan had been divided in two compartments in the Constitution. “Along with freedom and human rights, right to safety, food, education and employment too are often denied in Pakistan.” Wane talked about Pakistan’s bleak constitutional history and said that had prevented preservation of  human rights in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2014.