The federal government is planning to establish 'Pakistan Human Rights Commission', an independent and autonomous institution, to combat the non-governmental organisations (NGOs)'s misleading and misdirected campaigns damaging the country's image abroad.
Sources told Business Recorder that a draft in this regard has been finalised, which is likely to be submitted before the National Assembly in its forthcoming session.
In order to ensure impartiality by the proposed commission, a former judge of the Supreme Court would head it at national level. Likewise, one each former judge of the high courts would head the commission at provincial levels.
Besides, those would be inducted in the commission as members, who had 10-15 years experience of human rights work on their credit, the sources added.
The commission would monitor cases involving human rights violations, including rape, torture, blasphemy, abduction of children, extra judicial killings, forcible occupation of land, domestic violation, kidnapping, illegal detention, honour killing, custodial death, crime against women and minorities, the sources added.
They claimed that the government has taken the decision regarding setting of the commission keeping in view the Mukhtaran Mai and Dr Shazia cases, which were mishandled by the NGOs, thus damaging the country's image abroad.
The regional directorates working under Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights at provincial levels are likely to be renamed as Provincial Human Rights Commission.