KARACHI: Civil society representatives have urged President Arif Alvi to set up a task force to find a ‘workable’ solution of human rights and labour rights.

They also called for establishing a commission for rights of the minorities in the light of a Supreme Court’s recent decision.

A delegation that called on President Alvi on Saturday at the Sindh Governor House also raised issues of missing persons, curbs on media freedoms and retrenchment of employees in media houses.

The delegation also presented a memorandum of the issues being faced by the rights activists.

“Civil society and labour rights activists from all provinces of Pakistan have urged the president to ensure provision of fundamental human rights including labour rights to all citizens ensured under the Constitution,” rights activist Karamat Ali told a press conference here at the Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

Civil society asks president to set up task force for human, labour rights

Besides Mr Ali of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler), Mohammad Tahseen, executive director of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP) Lahore,;Ali Palh, coordinator, Sindh Human Rights Defender Network, Hyderabad; Bushra Arain, president of the Lady Health Workers Association, Lahore; Liaqat Ali Sahi, general secretary of the State Bank Democratic Worker Union (CBA), Karachi; Rashida Dohat, director of the Omar Asghar Khan Foundation, Islamabad; Nasir Aziz, secretary general of the National trade Union federation, Karachi addressed the press conference.

Mr Ali said that the president heard the delegation members very patiently and assured that their grievances would be addressed.

Enforced disappearance no solution to terrorism

The civil society’s memorandum highlighted the violation of freedom of association, freedom of press, right to free trial, minorities, women and children rights.

“We have proposed to set up a task force comprising senior government officials, experts from private sector and civil society representatives to find a workable solution,” he said.

The civil society raised the issue of missing persons.

“We have urged the government to find a lasting solution for the problem. Enforced disappearances are no solution to the issue of terrorism or anti-state activities. Those involved in any criminal cases must be brought to courts and dealt in accordance to the law,” Mr Ali said.

“The actions by the state and non-state actors in recent years have resulted in curbs on freedom of expression and freedom of media. A recent raid on the KPC by plain-clothes armed men is one example of harassment of journalists,” he said, adding: “Retrenchments of media people, drastic reduction in government ads to newspapers and TV channels, unannounced sanctions against some media houses, surveillance and harassment of those using social media as a platform of expression are other examples of increased hindrances in the way of the right to expression.”

“As civil society, we believe that it is important to put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure the freedom of expression and free media in accordance to the Constitution and international best practices,” he said.

Regarding minorities rights, Mr Ali said that the president was requested to take practical measures to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision regarding minorities’ rights. “We have requested to establish the Minority Rights Commission, which is the centre point of the Supreme Court decision.”

He said that the government was urged to consider the guidelines issued by the National Commission for Human Rights for adoption at all levels and take necessary measures including required legislation for recognition and protection of human rights defenders.

‘Social security for all’

Regarding labour issues, Mr Ali said: “We have requested the president to ask the federal government to conduct an immediate review of all laws concerning to labour and human rights to bring them in conformity with the international commitments and constitutional provisions. This may follow by making appropriate institutional arrangements to implement these laws and policies. Civil society should be consulted in all such processes.”

The Piler official said trade unions had already shrunk to the lowest ebb in Pakistan. “Of the 65 million labourers, only about one per cent are unionised. This is an alarming situation both for a society and democracy. There might be multiple factors for this drastic decline of trade unions. Restrictive laws are a major hurdle in exercise of the right to association and collective bargaining.”

He said it was also important that the legislation and policy making process be expedited in provinces in accordance to the provisions of the Constitution and the International Labour Organisation’s conventions ratified by Pakistan.

“We have requested the president to intervene and ask the federal government to take appropriate measures to universalise social security for all citizens. First step may be to combine all the labour welfare institutions and universalise social security coverage for all workers.

He said a large number of rural population was landless and shelterless. While the government had already started housing programme for shelterless and underprivileged, “we believe that land reforms are essential to end poverty and marginalisation”, he said.

“We have urged the government to start with distribution of the state land among landless haris as a first step. There are multiple studies suggesting that enough state land is available to distribute, which may provide a piece of 5-7 acres to a landless family,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2018