Caretaker Federal Minister for Human Rights Khalil George on Wednesday said that protection of human rights along with rights of women and children was top priority of ministry of Human Rights.The federal Minister while talking to media persons at the launching ceremony of the second National Media Fellowship on Gender Based Violence and Child Marriages here, said that ministry of human rights and its directorates in all the provinces were vigorously taking initiatives for protection of human rights in the country.
He urged the media to raise incidents of human rights violation and assured that ministry will take necessary action in the regard. He also stressed on the need of reporting with responsibility and confirmation of the fact and figures before making news.
The minister paid glowing tribute to martyrs of Armed Forces of Pakistan on the occasion of Pakistan Defense Day and said that valiant sons of homeland make the entire nation proud by their remarkable courage and not only defended the country from aggression of the enemy but blown out their installations in the territory of the enemy. Khalil George said that on this day we remember those brave martyrs who busted the nefarious designs of the enemy to demonstrate that every Pakistani is standing side by side of our armed forces and this bond of affection and respect between people and armed forces of Pakistan have strengthened and deepened further. Khalil George while responding to questions about elections said that caretaker set up was endowed with the responsibility of making arrangements for conduct of election but it was constitutional mandate of Election Commission of Pakistan to announce the dates for general elections in the country and ensure free, fair and transparent polls.
He further said that it was witnessed in the past that every party that returned successful in the elections termed it free and fare while the unsuccessful candidates made allegations of rigging. On a query about Jaranwala incident, the minister said that 200 miscreants were found involved in the incident and 128 of them were nabbed on the very first day. Government was determined to take all the miscreants involved in the heinous crime to task, he vowed and said that when a few extremists set ablaze the houses of Christian community in Jaranwala there were hundreds of Muslims there to help out the victims.
It demonstrates the exemplary relationship of majority and minority communities of Pakistan, he observed and said that Pakistan is our motherland where minority communities enjoy equal rights and such incidents conspired by the extremist elements to sow the seeds of divide and hatred could not achieve their wicked objectives. On the other side of border, in India, serious violations of human rights and heinous crimes against the minorities were taking place and people belonging to minority communities including Muslims and Christians were being ruthlessly killed and vehemently tortured and government did not take any action against the culprits. On a question on human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jamu and Kashmir, he said that Kashmir was termed as jugular vein of Pakistan by the founder of the nation Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and government of Pakistan had and will always keep supporting people of Kashmir and their demand for right of self-determination at every forum. In the current caretaker setup, Mishal Malik- the wife of Kahmiri Leader Yaseen Malik- was included in the caretaker cabinet as special assistant to Prime Minister on Human Rights to express our resolve with the just and fair cause of Kashmiri People, he stated.
