Media enjoy unhindered freedom, Musharraf
ISLAMABAD – President General Pervez Musharraf on May 15 called for passing a law to ban honour killing and said the Hudood Ordinance and the Blasphemy Law be studied afresh to ensure that they are not misused.
Reaffirming commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights at a convention on Sensitization and Adoption of Human Rights Standards in Pakistan, attended by foreign diplomats, federal ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of human rights organizations and members of the legal fraternity, the president announced the establishment of an independent national commission to facilitate the implementation of human rights standards in the country. The National Commission for Human Rights will have an independent status and would report, review and advise on all forms of human rights violations and the redressal of grievances.
Law to ban honour killing: The president said although honour killing is illegal, the passage of a law banning it would lend more strength to Pakistan’s efforts to do away with the intolerable practice.
Hudood Ord, Blasphemy Law to be re-examined: The president said the nation should not shrink from re-examining of the Hudood Ordinance by scholars, lawyers and legislators within the teachings of the Holy Quran. He said Islam teaches that we must reach a decision through discussion then why a discussion be opposed on an Ordinance.
In this context, the president said, the Blasphemy Law needs to be looked into so that justice is done and it is not misused to victimize the innocent.
The president said the initiatives by his governments have brought Pakistani print and electronic media an unhindered freedom of expression, which is universally regarded as the essence of democracy.
Referring to the rights of minorities, he said Pakistan could rightly be proud of the fact that its record of treatment of minorities is much better than many professed democracies of both the developed and the developing worlds.
Musharraf said his government takes pride in empowering the minorities by allowing them the joint electorate as well as giving them reserved seats in the parliament, provincial assemblies and local government.
The president recounted that a range of pro-active steps taken for socio-economic empowerment of people have started yielding results in the form of growing awareness.
He enumerated the unprecedented freedom of the media, the establishment of the Commission on the Status of Women, effective measures for reduction of child labour, the replacement of archaic colonial Police Act of 1861 by Police Order 2002, empowerment of women and equal rights of the minorities as key indicators of Pakistan’s efforts.
Referring to initiatives taken for improving the lot of the Pakistani women, Musharraf said they have been empowered politically while the process of their economic empowerment is also picking up in the form of low-interest loans from Khushhali and Micro Credit bank facilities both in rural and urban areas.
He said more than 40,000 women sit in political authority in different tiers of the government and enjoy 33 per cent representation in local governments.
Saying the government is cognizant about the need to fill the gap between policy formulation and policy implementation, he said the government is making efforts to fill this gap.
However, the president underlined that anyone pronouncing a judgment on human rights conditions should take stock of the ground realities prevailing in Pakistan and other developing countries.
Government to protect child rights: About the measures taken by the government to protect the child rights, he said a law on employment of children has been enacted, providing for punishment to those found guilty.
He asked the human rights organizations and the local community to join hands in removing child labour but not be forgetful of this harsh economic reality.
Source: The Nation
Date:5/16/2004
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