BAJAUR: The administration has formed a committee to monitor the rights situation in of Bajaur tribal district.

According to a notification, deputy commissioner will be head of the nine-member committee. Other members of the committee include district social welfare officer, superintendent of police investigation, superintendent of prisons, district education officer and district health officer.

The notification said that the committee would not only monitor the overall rights situation in the district but also investigate violations by visiting jails and police stations.

The members of the committee will visit place of detention (police stations) on receipt of complaints of torture.

They will also visit hospitals to check provision of health facilities to people.

The notification said that members of the committee would visit schools and colleges to raise awareness about people’s rights among the students. It said that they would also visit orphanage, shelter homes etc to identify and recommend cases of the people’s rights violations and resolve the same through concerned organisations.

Besides monitoring of rights situation in the district, the members of the committee will also mobilise the local people and encourage them for active participation to promote and protect rights in the district.

The notification stated that the committee would submit its periodic reports, information and documents related to the human rights situation of the district to the provincial task force and national task force established under the action plan of human rights.

Meanwhile, people from all walks of life have welcomed formation of committee to monitor the rights situation in the district.

They expressed the hope that the committee members would independently monitor the human rights situation in the district. They added that the performance of the committee would help to overcome the human rights violations in the region.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2020