Pakistan strongly supports human rights’ application: FM Khar

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday said Pakistan strongly supports the promotion and application of universally recognized human rights.

In her opening statement at the 14th Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan’s resolve and commitment to combat terrorism remained unwavering.

However she termed the drone attacks as counter-productive, unlawful, against international law, and violation of sovereignty.

The Foreign Minister said Pakistan as the Chair of the OIC Group on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva has played a constructive role in building convergences between West and Islamic world on the most contentious and challenging issues in the Human Rights Council.

She said Pakistan welcomes this engagement with the international community through an open and constructive dialogue on its human rights record in line with the provisions identified in the Institution Building Package.

She thanked the “Troika” comprising Chile, China and Congo, for facilitating Pakistan’s review.

The Foreign Minister said following restoration of democracy in 2008, Pakistan had taken a number of steps to restore the democratic nature of state institutions.

Today Pakistan is a functional democracy with an elected and sovereign parliament, an independent judiciary, a free media and a vibrant and robust civil society, she added.

She said the reporting period (2008 to 2012) had been one of the most challenging in recent years for Pakistan. Pakistan continued to face enormous challenges on different fronts, ranging from security and terrorism to the economy, apart from natural calamities.

“Despite these serious challenges, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights,” she said.

The Foreign Minister said during the last four years, there had been transformational changes in the legislative framework.

She mentioned passing of three constitutional amendments requiring two-third majority as part of a overarching compact between the country’s major political parties to engender long-term democratic values in the country, after the trauma of repeated military interventions.

She said in April 2010, Parliament unanimously passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, addressing the many imbalances of power that had entered the legislative framework at the behest of military governments.

She said among the key features of the 18th Amendment is its strengthening of human rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The Right to Education (Article 25A), Right to Information (Article 19A) and Right to Fair Trial (Article 10A) are now recognized as fundamental rights, which cannot be suspended, she added.

The Foreign Minister said consistent with its longstanding commitment to promote and protect human rights, Pakistan ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Convention against Torture (CAT) in June 2010.

She said in August 2011, Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Option Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

Foreign Minister Khar said Pakistan has now ratified seven out of nine core international human rights treaties. Joining these international human rights instruments demonstrates Pakistan’s commitment to international human rights standards.