ISLAMABAD, March 5: The government on Tuesday rejected the US State Department Report on human rights as “factually inaccurate and unwarranted” adding that it reflected tendency of some states to sit in judgment on others.

“The reports fails to acknowledge the important policy measures and initiatives by the government of Pakistan to promote and protect human rights,” said a statement issued by Foreign Office spokesman in which the report was termed as factually inaccurate and unwarranted.

It pointed out that all the goals set at an April 2000 human rights conference had been achieved, which it added had been ignored by the report.

Enlisting these initiatives, it recalled that these include promulgation of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, the establishment of a permanent commission on the status of women, police and jail reforms, national policy and plan of action for elimination of child labour and establishment of a fund for rehabilitation of working children.

The government, it added, has amended Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951 to enable women of Pakistani descent to claim Pakistani nationality for their children born to foreign husbands. A mass awareness campaign was launched as part of the observance of the Year 2000 as the year of Human Rights and Human Dignity, it added.

In addition, it said, Pakistan also ratified ILO Conventions 100 on equal remuneration and 182 on the elimination of worst forms of child labour. It signed the Optional Protocols to Convention on the Rights of Child. Recently the system of joint electorates has been introduced respecting the wishes of the minority communities, it said.

Despite these developments, the report states “the government’s human rights record remained poor.”

“This is unacceptable and a gross misstatement of the facts. The government of Pakistan therefore, feels constrained to reject the assessment of the report about Pakistan, and the tendency of some states to sit in judgment over others.”

“The cause of human rights would be better served if all states, in a spirit of cooperation and understanding address the problems they face in promoting and protecting human rights,” it said.