Pakistan: Rights commission bill tabled in National Assembly

More than three years after being approved by cabinet, a bill to set up an independent and human rights commission has been tabled in the National Assembly, Pakistani media outlet Dawn.com reports.

The bill to establish the human rights commission was first approved by the cabinet in October 2008, with the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights approving the draft bill with major amendments in August 2010.

The original draft had proposed that the commission would only be headed by a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court. However, the committee has amended the draft making it possible for any person having vast experience in the field of human rights to become its chairperson.

The proposed commission will comprise 11 members: one each from the provinces, two representing minorities and one each from Islamabad, Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan and the secretary of the human rights division will be its ex-officio member. The chairperson and members would be appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister for a period of four years.

After establishment of the commission, every citizen will have a right to register a complaint in case of human rights violations against any individual or institution. The commission, while inquiring into complaints, will have the powers of a civil court and can summon any individual, public or private department.

The proposed commission will also have the powers to take suo motu notice of any incident and may seek assistance of any agency, police officer or any other official, organisation of the government. The commission will also have the powers to “intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court”.

Moreover, its members will be authorised to visit any jail or detention centres to examine living conditions of the inmates.

The commission shall send a copy of its inquiry report together with its recommendations to the government or the authority which shall, within a period of one month, or such further time as the commission may allow, forward its comments on the report, including the action taken.

The commission will also be required to submit an annual report to the federal government which will then be bound to lay it before parliament.

The commission will have complete administrative and financial autonomy and its accounts will be audited by the auditor general of Pakistan.

The Statement of Object and Reasons attached to the bill states: “In pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution No. 48/134 of December 20, 1993, and such other relevant resolutions of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the UN member states are under obligation to establish independent national human rights institutions which is considered as a singular criterion to judge a state’s commitment towards the protection and promotion of human rights.”

Date: 21 November 2011