Ministry of Human Rights
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Human Rights is a federal
government agency
in Pakistan
. The ministry is headed by the Minister for Human Rights, Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
. The historically contentious issue of human rights in Pakistan
received an added emphasis from the highest leadership of Pakistan when the ministry was chipped out of the Ministry of Law and Justice on November 3, 2008.
There are also regional ministers. The Minister of Human Rights for Punjab is Kamran Michael.
in 1995/96, but with the dissolution of her government the ministry was downsized. At that time the ministry was set up as a department within the justice ministry. It had then 125 employees and four regional offices. Then, with a limited budget, the ministry worked on a case-by-case basis only seeking help from donor agencies to expand its activity. A prison reform
program was instituted in 2000 and also a "fund for women in distress and detention" and a "relief and revolving fund" for victims of human rights violations were set up. According to an assessment by the United States Department of State
the ministry was however not perceived as effective by human rights observers which noted specifically that the Pakistani government had failed to take follow-up action on the 1997 report of the Commission of Inquiry for Women.
). Shortly after his appointment minister Alam Gillani also announced that a task force consisting of journalists, civil society activists and social workers would be formed on district and divisional levels to address human rights violations cases and also that separate courts for human rights would also be established at district levels. Furthermore the ministry has announced that it is preparing a new law which will form the basis for work to shed light in the fate of potentially thousands of citizens who have gone missing, and according to human rights activists, may have been taken away by security and intelligence services during Pakistan's seven-year War on Terror
.
Central government
A central government also known as a national government, union government and in federal states, the federal government, is the government at the level of the nation-state. The structure of central governments varies from institution to institution...
government agency
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The ministry is headed by the Minister for Human Rights, Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani
Syed Mumtaz Alam Gillani is a Pakistani lawyer who was appointed the federal minister of Human Rights on November 4, 2008, a new portfolio, the Ministry of Human Rights which was carved out of the ministry of law and justice. Gillani was voted into the National Assembly of Pakistan in March 2008...
. The historically contentious issue of human rights in Pakistan
Human rights in Pakistan
Pakistan’s human rights record has dramatically improved since the reforms that took place after the tenure of President Zia-ul-Haq in 1988. The situation of human rights in Pakistan is a complex one, as a result of the country's diversity, large population, its status as a developing country and a...
received an added emphasis from the highest leadership of Pakistan when the ministry was chipped out of the Ministry of Law and Justice on November 3, 2008.
There are also regional ministers. The Minister of Human Rights for Punjab is Kamran Michael.
Recreation of ministry set up originally in 1995
Originally the ministry was created by Benazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
in 1995/96, but with the dissolution of her government the ministry was downsized. At that time the ministry was set up as a department within the justice ministry. It had then 125 employees and four regional offices. Then, with a limited budget, the ministry worked on a case-by-case basis only seeking help from donor agencies to expand its activity. A prison reform
Prison reform
Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system.-History:Prisons have only been used as the primary punishment for criminal acts in the last couple of centuries...
program was instituted in 2000 and also a "fund for women in distress and detention" and a "relief and revolving fund" for victims of human rights violations were set up. According to an assessment by the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
the ministry was however not perceived as effective by human rights observers which noted specifically that the Pakistani government had failed to take follow-up action on the 1997 report of the Commission of Inquiry for Women.
2008 Ministry led by Mumtaz Alam Gillani
The government has approved the draft bill for the establishment an independent National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (not to be confounded with the already existing NGO Human Rights Commission of PakistanHuman Rights Commission of Pakistan
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters...
). Shortly after his appointment minister Alam Gillani also announced that a task force consisting of journalists, civil society activists and social workers would be formed on district and divisional levels to address human rights violations cases and also that separate courts for human rights would also be established at district levels. Furthermore the ministry has announced that it is preparing a new law which will form the basis for work to shed light in the fate of potentially thousands of citizens who have gone missing, and according to human rights activists, may have been taken away by security and intelligence services during Pakistan's seven-year War on Terror
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.