20000316

10th HR report notes setbacks during last decade

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: A note appended to the 10th Human Rights report briefly reviews the last decade of the Century saying that it had seen Pakistan ruled by five different governments and return yet again to the military.

Written by Aziz Siddiqui, a Joint Director of the HRCP, the note said that among other indicators, the growth rate this year was reduced by half, the rate of unemployment doubled, a majority of people remained illiterate, the gender gap in primary education widened and violence against women sharply increased.

The 10th Report, launched here on Wednesday summed up that the decade was mostly marked either by setbacks or sameness in almost all the areas - in rule of law, fundamental freedom and democratic development, rights of women, children and labour, health and education, and housing, environment and rights of the refugees and the religious minorities.

The one notable area of hope was that of the people themselves. There was a growing consciousness of rights among a sections of the society, a greater will to resist curbs, and some early trends towards community endeavour in resolution of problems.

The report which deals with certain areas comprehensively, also lists its recommendations in each area. The Commission Chairperson Afrasiab Khattak launched the report during a 90-minute session. He was flanked by Asma Jehangir, his predecessor, Air Marshal Zafar A Chaudhary (Retd), the treasurer, I A Rahman, the permanent director, Aziz Siddiqui, the author of the preface to the report and Shujaaullah, the director of the local centre for democratic development.