After the completion of democratic process in Pakistan and transfer of power from the military ruler and President Pervez Musharraf, the new government of Pakistan has sent a positive signal to the world community by ratifying UN human rights convention on April 17 (Thursday).
In a latest development the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government has ratified International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and signed both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT).
Earlier on May 09, 2006 Pakistan was elected as a member of the newly established United Nations Human Rights Council by the UN General Assembly in New York. Pakistan there securing 149 votes won one of the 13 seats reserved for the Asian region.
The transfer of power to a democratically elected government has already reflected international community’s confidence in Pakistan’s commitment towards the promotion and protection of human rights.
Amnesty International responding to the ratification of these key human rights treaty by Pakistan said in a press release: “Becoming a state party to UN human rights conventions is a key step to ensuring human rights are respected, protected and realised for all in Pakistan in line with international standards”.
The Amnesty International, as an internationally recognised non-government organisation in its constant campaign for the protection and safeguard of human rights has urged Pakistani authorities to grasp this opportunity and address the pressing human rights problems in the country.
In a recent press statement Amnesty has called upon the Government of Pakistan:
• To promptly ratify the ICCPR and the UNCAT and enact implementing legislation to ensure that the three treaties become part of Pakistan’s domestic law; • To ratify all other human rights treaties and their optional protocols, as well as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; • To give full effect to international human rights treaties in policy and practice; • Release, or else disclose the fate and whereabouts of all victims of enforced disappearance; • End all secret, incommunicado and administrative detentions; • End all torture and other ill-treatment and repeal all laws which carry cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments; • Declare a moratorium on all death sentences and commute the death sentences of the over 7000 persons currently on death row
Agreement on these three core UN human rights instruments is certainly a step forward by the Pakistan government in fulfilling its pledges and commitment to promote human rights of the people of Pakistan in accordance with international human rights law.
Source: Amnesty International
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