The Federal Ministry of Human Rights held a mid-year review meeting on Thursday to assess the physical and financial progress of its projects approved under the Public Sector Development Program.
Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr. Shireen Mazari, chaired the meeting, which was attended by Secretary Human Rights, Director Generals of the Ministry, Project Directors and other senior officials.
The Minister was briefed on 13 ongoing PSDP 2021-22 projects. The Project Directors updated the Minister on the progress made in their respective projects during the first and second quarters of 2021-22.
According to a press release, the Ministry successfully inaugurated the Transgender Protection Center in addition to the creation of a directory for transgenders wherein 100 transgenders of Islamabad Capital Territory were already registered.
The Minister was informed that the major achievements in this period included the establishment of the Human Rights Information Management System (HRIMS) and linkages with regional offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan.
The Ministry officials said that 391 children with disabilities were registered under the Pilot Project for Inclusive Education, while assessment and diagnosis of 253 persons with visual disability were conducted under the National Special Education Center for Visually Handicapped Children.
They added that 187 persons with visual disability were provided training on e-learning. Steps have been taken to introduce the use of modern technology like Phoenix Braille, the latest magnifiers, and 3D printers for the first time in Pakistan, they underlined.
Shireen Mazari was apprised of the activities carried out to create awareness among people. She was told that six training and sensitization workshops were held on Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act, 2020 and Transgender Protection Act 2018 for police officials in all four provinces. She was also informed that the issues of rights of vulnerable segments of the society including women, children, transgender persons, and senior citizens were projected through several newspapers.
In her concluding remarks, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress. She advised the officials to ensure speedy accomplishment of ongoing projects.
