HARIPUR: Speakers at an open kutchery on Tuesday lamented delay in formation of anti-sexual harassment committees in the government departments and the educational institutions.

They said despite the fact that Pakistan was signatory to a number of human rights treaties and conventions the complaints of rights violations, including custodial abuses, gender-based violence and discrimination, denial of rights to differently-able persons were on the rise.

The social welfare department and the district administration organised the event titled ‘Are you victim of human rights violations?”. Additional deputy commissioner relief and human rights Shaista Bibi, district officer social welfare Sana Iqbal and officials of jail, police, health and education departments and activists of NGOs attended the forum held at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Hall.

The speakers said the Constitution’s Article 14 (2) and UN’s Convention against Torture, which Pakistan has ratified, prohibited torture, but inhuman and degrading treatment of inmates was still going in police stations and prisons.

They also accused the medico-legal officers of government hospitals of supporting the perpetrators by not documenting the custodial abuses, which always proved an obstacle to taking culprits to task.

They also pointed out complicated process of FIR registration involving medico-legal report about torture and violence, and demanded simplifying the procedure, especially for women.

They called for establishment of women-specific police stations, washrooms for them in bazaars and markets and redressing their problems while travelling in public transport. They also demanded giving protection to transgender persons from attacks and harassment, setting up ramps for visually-impaired people in markets and offices, protection of mineworkers, and controlling industrial waste and toxic emissions.

The speakers demanded making functional the local offices of Directorate of Human Rights, KP. Ms Shaista Bibi assured the participants of addressing their genuine complaints.

Former minority member of the district council, Dr Irfan Nasir, president PTI’s women wing Rubina Shaheen, Nusrat Parveen, vice-chairman district public safety commission Sadaqat Khan, chairman DRC Tehseenul Haq Awan and others were in attendance.

ROBBERS ARRESTED: The police on Tuesday arrested two robbers and recovered two motorcycles and Rs150,000 and weapons from them.

SHO city Siddique Shah told reporters that unknown robbers entered two houses in Malikyar and Makhan Colony, last week, and decamped with cash and valuables.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2020