By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI - Voicing serious concern over poor state of affairs prevailing in Sindh’s major government hospitals and prisons, chairperson of the provincial Human Rights Commission Justice (retd) Majida Razvi urged the government to bring an end to the sufferings of people and minimize human rights violations in the province.
Speaking at a two-day workshop on “Human Rights Compliance: Monitoring and Report” held here under the aegis of Democracy Reporting International, she said that government should make serious efforts to ensure provision of essential services at its hospitals and prisons.
Terming the situation prevailing at public sector hospitals in Sindh `a terrible example of poor governance’, she deplored that though billions of rupees are being earmarked for these hospitals annually, the corrupt mafia ensures this money goes into its pocket, instead of spending this huge amount for the welfare of poor patients.
Justice (retd) Majida Razvi said that she visited government hospitals in Sindh, where there was a shortage of doctors and essential life-saving medicines.
Highlighting the role of human rights defenders, she said that in the face of challenges being faced by Pakistani society, we need to have trained human rights activists, who should not only advocate for human rights, but should also provide immediate relief and assistance to victims of human rights violations.
She said that Sindh is the first province, which enacted the Human Rights Protection Law and established a Sindh Human Rights Commission, which is the first of its kind of institution in the country. She was, however, of the view that the provincial government was required to strengthen the commission so that it could work as watchdog body to monitor the human rights situation in the province.
She said that the commission could play its role in assisting the provincial and federal governments in fulfilling international human rights commitments under the UN Charter.
Speaking on the occasion, MNA Dr Shahida Rehmani said that Pakistan's parliament also has a greater role to play in ensuring protection of human rights.
She opined that the changing global scenario has necessitated that Pakistan put in place proper institutional mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights.
The workshop was conducted by Stewart-Jolley.