EU concerns: ‘Other provinces should follow Punjab’s lead’

EU delegation’s concerns regarding fundamental rights addressed.

LAHORE:

The European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights Stavros Lambrinidis said on Wednesday that other provinces of the country should follow the Punjab’s lead in allaying some reservations regarding the Generalised System of Preference Plus (GSP Plus) conditionalities.

He was leading a six-member EU delegation that called on Home Minister Shuja Khanzada at the Civil Secretariat. Lambrinidis asked several questions from secretaries regarding the reservations over minorities’ affairs, the misuse of laws and human rights. He expressed satisfaction with the various steps taken by the provincial government and promised to assist it in this regard.



Khanzada said Pakistan was fighting new social challenges in the wake of the war against terrorism that had adversely affected the national economy. He was meeting with the delegation on behalf of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.  Khanzada said the government had made marked progress in protecting human rights, minorities’ rights and preventing misuse of laws.

He also informed the delegation members about various initiatives taken by the government to emancipate women. Khanzada said a significant number of women were part of the workforce in the Punjab and had proved their mettle in scores of fields. He said more women were enrolled in colleges and universities than men across the province.

Khanzada said the Labour Department was stringently enforcing Pakistan’s obligations under an international treaty regarding human rights.  He said the government was striving to promote inter-communal harmony in the Punjab. Khanzada said a ban had been imposed on the use of loudspeakers during Muharram to maintain public order. He said delivering provocative speeches had also been banned.

He urged the delegation members to be sensitive to problems peculiar to Pakistan before imposing new conditions on the nation.  Khanzada said it was mandatory for the United States and the European Union to assist Pakistan in overcoming the challenges confronting it due to the war against terrorism.



Minorities’ Affairs Minister Tahir Khalil Sindhu said the government had been striving to protect religious minorities in the Punjab. He told the delegation members that only seven blasphemy cases were registered against non-Muslims out of a total number of 225. Minister for Industries Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique, Chief Secretary Naveed Akram Cheema and several other officials were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.