Staff Reporter
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that there is no doubt that the principles of human rights are not being implemented in our society in true letter and spirit but we have enacted laws to protect rights of every segment of the society, right from domestic workers to street children, industrial workers to peasants and even have empowered women and now focusing on the implementation of the laws which have not been enforced properly. He was talking to a delegation of human rights watchdog, led by UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Michel Forst, who was accompanied by the Director Norwegian Human Rights Fund (HRF) Sandra Petersen, Project Coordinator Norwegian HRF Scott Mellsky Sandvik, Executive Director PILER Karamat Ali, Hon. Alderman Mushtaq Lasharie, Zulfikar Shah of PILER, Anis Haroon, Ali Palh, Nasir Mansoor of Trade Union Federation, Naghma Iqtidar and Nazim haji of Safety Commission. The chief minister was assisted by Minister Education & Labour Saeed Ghani, CM Advisor Murtaza Wahab, CM Special Assistant on Human Rights Virjee Kolhi, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Labour Rasheed Solangi, Secretary Human Right department Badar Jameel Mendhro and others concerned. The chief minister going through the 73 years history of Pakistan said that the period of democracy in the country was 23 years, therefore implementation of principles of human rights has always been an issue. “But as far as PPP’s Sindh government is concerned it has enacted over 16 human rights related laws just after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment, “We are much ahead of other provinces even in South Asia,” he said proudly. The human rights related laws passed by provincial assembly, include The Sindh Industrial Relations Act 2013, The Sindh Workers Welfare Fund Act 2014, The Sindh Employees Old Age Benefit Act 2014, The Sindh Companies Profits (Workers Participation) Act 2015, The Sindh Workers Compensation Act, 2015, The Sindh Minimum Wages Act, 2015. The Sindh Terms of Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 2015. The Sindh Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 2015. The Sindh Factories Act, 2015. The Sindh Shops & Commercial Establishment Act 2015. The Sindh Payment of Wages Act 2015. The Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act, 2015. The Sindh Employees Social Security Act, 2016. The Sindh Occupational Safety & health Act, 2017. The Sindh Home Based Workers Act, 2018 and Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019. The Sexual Harassment at Workplace 2010 and Sindh Hindu Marriage Restraint Act. The forced conversion of the religion has also been enacted. Shah said that three human rights related schemes have been included in the annual development plan. The Chief Minister told the delegation that the provincial government recognizes the services of all the genuine civil society organisations and would ensure that they work in their respective fields without any hindrances. The chief minister concluding his remarks said that his government has also enacted laws against bonded labour and have almost eliminated.
