Celebrating Human Rights Day
Sir: International Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 every year. This day is significant for the world leaders to recognise the rights of human beings, declared by the United Nations in the Universal Human Rights Convention (1948). Recalling human rights and their implementation are two sides of the same coin. Today, the world is witnessing violence, social and political unrest, terrorism, health and education issues because the leaders have forgotten their responsibilities of addressing the issues of humanity. Fundamental freedoms are not available in practice. Each day, countless people around the world are exposed to dangers; they suffer immensely from the casualties of war and natural calamities and millions of people suffer from the scourges of poverty and economic crisis, yet no one is there to preserve humanity. Pakistan is in a state of denial towards human rights. Our country is still standing at the same position where it was standing 60 years ago. Although our state is a signatory to several human rights conventions and has also declared articles on human rights in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, yet, in practice, everything is abstract and overshadowed by political leaders.
The state of human rights in Pakistan is continuously declining. Thousands of people are raising their voices to get their civic and social rights yet there is no one to listen to them. The killing of innocent people in sectarian violence, dropouts at the school level, intolerance among people, critical condition of mother and child healthcare, rising issues of rape and dowry, dishonouring women and refusing minority rights are all witnessed daily in Pakistan. The government is not willing to provide security to the people, which alone causes fear. Moreover, the government has kept the world away from the ground realities due to which funding is being collected without any productive reaping. Education is a powerful asset in the promotion of human rights values in Pakistan. Schools, colleges and universities must promote human rights education to save future generations. In this regard, the government must introduce human rights education as a compulsory subject at all levels.
MUNIR MOOSA SEWANI
Karachi
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