ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice was told on Thursday that human rights violations are on the rise in the country and that during 2014-15 around 20,665 such cases were reported of which 3,536 were registered with the police.

However, the Minister for Law, Justice and Human rights Pervez Rashid claimed that his ministry has nothing to do with any human rights violations as after 18th amendment it has become provincial matter.

Moreover, Rashid held media responsible for exposing human rights violations and said media does not see positive things in the society as due attention is paid by his ministry on cases which are brought into its notice.

The committee was given a comprehensive briefing by senior officials of Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights on the state of human rights in the country.

Editorial: Human rights report card

The officials shared appalling facts and figures saying that “around 33 cases of missing persons, 1,547 cases of murder, 65 cases of extra judicial killings, 172 cases of targeted killings, 200 cases of rape, 34 cases of domestic violence and four cases of sexual harassment were reported”.

The ministry officials, however, apprised the committee that directives have been given to police and other concerned departments to take extra steps for the protection of human rights in the country.

The secretary for law and justice commission, Sarwar Khan, told the committee that the biggest hurdle in the way of providing cheap justice is the shortage of lower judiciary in towns and smaller cities.

Justice (retd) Raza Khan, the secretary at ministry of law, admitted the shortage of judges in the lower judiciary.

He said the relatives of prisoners on death sentences are sending letters to the law ministry for delaying the executions.