ISLAMABAD:A consultative meeting was convened by the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) was held in Islamabad on here on Monday to discuss the proposed amendments in the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 (NCRC Act, 2017) to make the Commission a fully independent NHRI (National Human Rights Institution) as enshrined in the Paris Principles.
The meeting was presided over by the Chairperson-National Commission on the Rights of Child, Ms. Afshan Tehseen, whereas Mr. Afzal Latif, Secretary Ministry of Human Rights was invited as chief guest.
Ms. Afshan Tehseen, Chairperson-NCRC, shared the objectives of the consultation where the amendments were proposed in the NCRC Act, 2017 to rectify the shortcomings of the existing law and strengthen the commission to ensure adequate protection of children in Pakistan as per the mandate given to the Commission.
The Chief Guest, Secretary Ministry of Human Rights, Afzal Latif acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of the National Commission on Rights of Child (NCRC) for the advancement of child rights in Pakistan. He further stressed that the presence of a coherent legislation and a well-defined mandate is integral for the legitimacy of Human Rights Commissions in Pakistan. Furthermore, it is important to have clarity of jurisdictions and the role between different commissions and authorities at the federal and provincial levels.
The proposed National Commission on the Rights of Child (Second Amendment) Bill 2022 was tabled for discussion before government officials. The proposed Bill ensures adequate representation of all minority and Gilgit Baltistan in the commission and extend suo-moto and periodical inspection powers to the commission to effectively inquire into the violation of child rights and effective protection of child rights. The Bill also proposed Parliamentary Committee oversight for the appointment of the Chairperson and Members as well as regulating the process of removal of the Chairperson and Members.
Mr. Mohammad Riaz, Secretary NCRC, proposed to define the executive authority (administrative and financial) of the Commission and the Chairperson because the law envisages the Commission as a body corporate.
Ms. Zahida Bukhari, AIG Islamabad Police Operation, proposed that there should be a Helpline and a referral mechanism embedded within the functions of the NCRC.
All participants discussed different amendments and made valuable input to further improve the proposed Bill.
Dr. Rubina Fareed, Member ICT-NCRC concluded the meeting and thanked the participants for their contributions and input. She further stated that recommendations from the consultation will be incorporated into the Bill, and will be presented to the government for its consideration.
The list of meeting attendees included various government officials working for different ministries including; the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Law and Justice Commission, Federal Investigation Agency, Child Protection Institute, Islamabad (CPI), DG ZARRA, Ministry of Overseas and Human Resource Development, Ministry of Law and Justice, Islamabad Police, Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.