=> KARACHI: Federal Minister for Human Rights, Ansar | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

=> KARACHI: Federal Minister for Human Rights, Ansar

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Human Rights, Ansar Burney on Wednesday held two separate meetings with the officials of Directorate of Emigrants and an NGO on the issue of human trafficking.

He directed the constitution of a coordination committee consisting of government officials and NGO representatives within two days to work for creating awareness about various social evils especially against human trafficking. The minister pointed out that women and children were taken abroad fraudulently and government agencies should make immigration process strict and the agents involved in human trafficking be given exemplary punishment. He observed that poverty and social injustices were the main causes responsible for human trafficking and vowed to strive for the elimination social injustice.

He directed that Pakistan Television should telecast such programmes which may help create awareness against human trafficking. Mr Burney called for organising seminars at district and local levels with the cooperation of NGOs in this regard.

The minister agreed to the proposals by the officials of Emigrants Protectorate that tough conditions should be enforced prior to issuing travel agency license while airlines should play a meaningful role to check human trafficking.

He directed that qualified Community Welfare Attache should be posted at Pakistani Missions abroad to help check human trafficking. After the meeting with Emigrants Bureau Officials, Ansar Burney addressed a workshop on educating Emigrant workers about HIV and AIDS and called for creating awareness about HIV and AIDS.

In the meeting with NGO, Ansar Burney said that he was working for improving the condition of prisoners in various jails since long time. He said that he had ordered that separate worship places should be provide to foreign prisoners in various jails in Pakistan so that they could be given opportunity to practice their religion.

World Cancer Day observed: The cancer may affect anyone at any stage whereas the treatment is a huge burden on patients, families and societies.

This was stated by Dr Najeeb Niamatullah, Consultant Oncologist at Aga Khan University (AKU). He was speaking at a programme organised by the University Hospital to commemorate the World Cancer Day.

It was pointed out that cancer was a leading cause of death worldwide, particularly in developing countries, though many of these were avoidable.

Dr Niamatullah termed the tobacco use as the single most important risk factor and said that up to a third of the nation’s cancer burden could be reduced by implementing known cancer preventing strategies.

Other health care professionals from AKU also spoke at this programme. Section Head of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Prof Javaid Khan said that if gutka, paan and naswar consumption was counted, Pakistan probably had the world’s highest ratio of tobacco use. Dr Khan referred to research by the Cancer Society, which shows that almost 50 per cent of all cancer cases in Pakistan are preventable. In his presentation, Dr Farhat Abbas cautioned against high intake of animal fat and red meat, and recommended that men over 50 undergo an annual digital rectal examination and PSA blood test to detect the disease at an early stage.
Source: The Nation
Date:2/8/2008