ISLAMABAD:Minister for Human Rights Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Wednesday stressed upon imposing stringent punishments on violators of bounded labour laws to end discrimination of the masses facing exploitation for earning their livelihoods.
Addressing the 3rd meeting of Inter-Ministerial and Inter- Provincial Steering Committee of National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights, the Minister said there was a need of amendments in the existing laws to provide more stringent punishments against those violating the law and also to ensure provision of government assistance and rehabilitation programmes’ dividends to the victims of forced or bounded labor.
Pirzada said the inter- provincial coordination on Business and Human Rights should be continued among the federating units in line with the National Action Plan (NAP) without any interference from the federal government. The provinces or federating units should exercise their powers to ensure NAP recommendations extending human rights to all without the interference of the federal government, he added.
He said the federal and provincial governments should periodically revise the list of hazardous occupations and increase uniformity amongst various regulation regarding
the working hours in industries.
The Minister said that the UN framework also clarifies that corporate responsibility to respect human rights exists parallel to States’ ability to protect Human Rights.
He added that the Departments of Industries, Human Resources Development, and Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan should make efforts for better coordination
on implementation of NAP on Business and Human Rights. The Minister also stressed on incorporating the sections of ILO Conventions into legal frameworks governing the rights
of all workers.
To eliminate the child labour the Minster said that the violators flouting rules on child labour should be fined on spot for immediate justice and strict compliance of laws.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Human Rights Ministry, DG Human Rights Ministry, inter-provincial stakeholders of human rights and members from the Industries Department.