Punjab to Introduce British-Style Human Rights Act

The Punjab Human Rights Department has decided to introduce a Britain-inspired Human Rights Act as a punishment for the accused violators of human rights in the province.

Owing to the lack of public awareness, very few complaints are lodged at either the provincial Department of Human Rights or the zonal office of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).

Currently, the status of the department is merely that of a watchdog and the complaints that it receives are transferred to other concerned departments. Moreover, it does not have the authority to punish the accused.

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According to its officials, the department receives most of its complaints through the Prime Minister’s Complaints Portal, and citizens also lodge their complaints directly with it. The department also monitors media reports on human rights.

It received almost 60,000 applications this year, out of which 50,300 have been forwarded to other concerned departments. The department has to process an application within 20 days, and it currently has very few pending ones.

The Provincial Minister for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs, Ijaz Alam Augustine, said that while he receives many applications, he cannot conduct investigations against the accused and has to forward the applications to the concerned departments. If someone has a complaint against the police, it is forwarded to the police department. Similarly, if a person has a grievance with the Department of Health, it is forwarded to them.

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However, once the British-style Human Rights Act is enforced in Pakistan, the department will have the power to both punish and fine the accused.

The minister added that it is hoped that by 2021, the bill of the Human Rights Act will be presented and passed in the Assembly.