Call to re-activate SAARC
Zubair Qureshi
Participants of a webinar have called for bringing South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) back to life in order to curb the militancy and terrorisms, resolve bilateral conflicts and address trans-boundary challenges confronting the region.
The panel of experts urged the non-democratic forces to give a chance to people to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions within their countries.
Democracy ensures basic human rights that lead to peace in a society, said they adding, but, unfortunately the hegemonic approaches and decision making of the governments have excluded the voices of the people.
Only the vested interest prevail at the cost of human rights, they were of the view.
Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) had organized the international webinar on the theme “Ensuring human right for peace in the region”.
The panel of experts included former senator Farhatullah Babar, Lt Gen (Retd) Talat Masood, Justice (Retd) Ali Nawaz Chowhan, General Secretary Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Harris Khalique, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, an expert from Tehran Dr Yahya Jahangiri, Desert Resource Centre (India) Founder Director Anshul Ojha, Secretary General Human Rights Alliance, Kathmandu (Nepal) Bidur Subedi, Joint Secretary SAARC Human Rights Foundation (Dhaka-Bangladesh) MD Tanbirul Islam, and President International Human Right Movement (London-UK) Rana Basharat Ali Khan.
Veteran politician and former Senator Farhatullah Babar said some hidden-hands always disrupted the peace efforts in the region primarily between Pakistan and India.
Hatred is the political slogan to win vote bank while the region is suffering from poverty, hunger and the impact of climate change.
A just and a strong parliamentary system will ensure the fair distribution of resources ultimately addressing human rights. Democratic governments are less likely to go to war.
Devcom-Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed said the countries need to ensure citizens participation in the decision making for the maturity of the political process.
Fair distribution of resources and just policies shall bring the socio-political equilibrium to ensure human rights. Women and marginalized communities and segments are under severe stress.
Bilateral and multilateral conflicts are nowhere on the priority agenda of the governments. The only regional platform SAARC is dormant for years.
In the absence of SAARC what else could be the platform to discuss the regional frameworks of collaboration on militancy, terrorisms and transboundary climate impact and water scarcity.
Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan, stressed to strengthen the human rights institutions to improve the situation. T
he National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR), a statutory body under the parliament of Pakistan, is abandoned for the last three years.
In the first three years, the Commission investigated the facts to develop 35 reports on a variety of issues for the government to act upon accordingly under the guidance of the Pakistan’s constitution.
They all are dusting in the shelves, Harris Khalique said no justice no peace. The state has many deficiencies in ensuring human rights.
The dissenting voices were taken as anti-state and are being considered even today.
Forced disappearances in Balochistan and erstwhile FATA districts speaks volumes that the state is not interested to listen to the woes of the people.
Militancy is a common challenge for all the countries but no joint action plan exists. Any rights-based campaign in India would be considered as pro-Pakistan or vice versa.
The Pakistan government has to show its vigor for human rights by functionalizing the National Commission on Human Rights and National Commission on the Status of Women as early as possible.
