PESHAWAR: Speakers at a consultation here on Monday called upon the government to fully implement international conventions specially those dealing with civil and political rights so that the trade incentives it had been enjoying under Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Plus from European Union should continue in future.

They said that under GSP Plus the country’s report as well as a shadow report by the civil society groups would be submitted early next year and for that purpose it was necessary that the government should comply with the relevant conditions including enforcement of human rights treaties and conventions related to labour laws and environment.

The multi- stakeholders’ consultation was organised by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler).

MPAs Naeema Kishwar and Asia Khattak, provincial anti-harassment ombudsperson Rukhshanda Naz, former director of Peshawar University’s Area Study Centre Dr Sarfaraz, Taimoor Kamal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, representative of civil society Said Afzal Shinwari, president of Tajir Ittehad Peshawar Mujeebur Rehman, Shujauddin Qureshi of Piler, representative of human rights directorate Sikander Khan and others spoke on the occasion.

Speakers call for compliance with conditions of GSP Plus

Rukhshanda Naz said that under the GPS Plus, the government had to implement 27 international conventions and covenants related to human rights, labour, environmental protection, etc. She regretted that unfortunately those conventions did not include any on harassment at workplace.

She said that according to a report of federal anti-harassment ombudsperson of 2015, around 17 per cent of young women had left jobs due to harassment they faced at workplace as well as in public while going to job.

Ms Naz said that home-based women workers were marginalised group that should be focused and they should be provided equal remuneration as compared to male workers in factories.

She said that since she assumed charge few months ago, she had sent letters to 1,100 public and private organisations, asking them to set up anti-harassment committees in compliance with the law. She said that on January 2020, her office would start taking action against those organisations that had not complied with the law and had not displayed the relevant code of conduct as well as not formed the said committees in their respective offices.

Dr Sarfaraz Khan pointed out that 2.8 million children below 16 years were out of school whereas it was constitutional obligation of the state to provide free education to them. He said that education to children should also be attached to conditions under GSP Plus.

He alleged that private education and health sectors were involved in exploitation of its workers. He said that space for civil society was shrinking and restrictions on freedom of speech, association and expression were on the rise. In such a situation, he said, it would be a tough job for the government to defend itself in its report to European Union.

Naeema Kishwar and Asia Khattak said that the country was signatory to several conventions and it had to enact and enforce laws in accordance with it. They said that working conditions in mines and mineral sector should be improved and labour department should increase inspections in industries and other sectors for checking exploitation of labour class.

Said Afzal stated that GSP Plus was an incentive package given by European Union to different countries for improving their trade imbalance in return of complying with international conventions.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2019