ISLAMABAD, 29 JULY (DNA) – Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has rejected the proposal of Ministry of Human Rights to abolish the Tribunal for Disadvantaged Persons.

The Prime Minister, instead, has directed the Ministry for revival as well as proper functioning of Tribunal for Disadvantaged Persons to guarantee the rights of women, children and religious minorities.

The Prime Minister while observing that government has a much greater duty of care towards its disadvantaged citizens, said that a revitalized Tribunal for Disadvantaged Persons can play a very effective role in helping the government deliver on its commitments under the Action Plan for Human Rights.

Even though governmental responsibilities towards labour have been devolved to provinces under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the federal government cannot give up its supervisory role with regard to the rights and welfare of labour, particularly in the domain of child labour and labour employed in extractive industries, the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Human Rights to establish an institutional mechanism to supervise and monitor the performance of provincial and regional governments in the area of labour welfare and protection of labour rights with a focus on labour employed in extractive industries and elimination of child labour.

The Prime Minister has further directed Ministry of Human Rights to establish an institutional mechanism to deal effectively with matters relating to Pakistani citizens facing prosecution or undergoing punishment in foreign countries, and women & children belonging to terrorism-afflicted areas.

Given the public policy significance of “Treaty Implementation Cell”, the Prime Minister has directed to place the Cell in the Cabinet Division in order to make it more strengthened and centrally placed in the federal government’s policy formulation structure.

The Cabinet Division and the Ministries of Human Rights and Commerce have been asked to take further necessary action at the earliest to implement the directions of the Prime Minister. DNA