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Islamabad : Message of the Caretaker Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on the occasion of International Human Rights Day -10 December 2023. On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Pakistan joins the international community in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. This historic Declaration enshrines the inalienable rights to which all individuals are entitled – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. The Government of Pakistan shall continue its efforts to promote and safeguard human rights, both domestically and internationally. Pakistan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to this cause, evident through various initiatives and policies aimed at protecting the dignity and rights of its citizens. Some key initiatives taken by Government of Pakistan include ratification of core human rights conventions, incorporation of fundamental rights in the Constitution of Pakistan, enactment of human rights laws and establishment of institutions for prevention and protection of rights. Special laws have been enacted for the protection of the rights of vulnerable population including women, children, minorities, persons with disabilities, senior citizens and transgenders. To ensure implementation of these laws, the Government has established the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) with the power to take cognizance of the violation of human rights, the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) with the mandate to inquire into violations of women rights, and the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) with the mandate to take all necessary measures for protection of child rights including inquiry into cases of violation. The Family Protection and Rehabilitation Centre in Islamabad provides temporary shelter and psycho-social counseling to victims of violence. Similarly, the establishment of Zainab Alert Response & Recovery Authority (ZARRA) and Transgender Protection Center, Islamabad are also important human rights related initiatives of the Government. Despite visible progress in the field of human rights, several challenges remain in achieving the desired milestones. In this regard, collaborative efforts, both at the national and international level, are vital to address the complexities involved in dealing with issues related to human rights. Pakistan also remains deeply concerned by the status of human rights in other parts of the world. In South Asia, India is violating all norms and conventions of human rights in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The illegal actions of 5 August 2019, aimed at demographic change and disenfranchising the Kashmiris from exercising their right to self-determination have further aggravated the scale of oppression and suppression of Kashmiri people’s basic rights, identity and fundamental freedoms. Pakistan reiterates its call for ending egregious human rights abuses in IIOJK and reaffirms to continue moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle against India’s tyranny, occupation and oppression. We urge the international community to press India to grant Kashmiris their fundamental rights including the right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions. Another pressing human rights situation has emerged in Palestine where Israel is egregiously violating human rights in Gaza, resulting in thousands of causalities, including innocent women and children. Israel’s purposeful, indiscriminate, and disproportionate targeting of people violates all standards of human rights and constitutes a clear breach of international law. We urge the international community to redouble efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urge Israel to end its brutal occupation of Palestine and grant the Palestinian people their inalienable right to decide their own future. This year’s theme “Consolidating and Sustaining Human Rights Culture into the Future” is very apt and relevant. I reiterate Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to further advance respect for and protection of the rights and freedoms of all our citizens as enshrined in our Constitution as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Let us work together to build a world where the inherent dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family are recognized and upheld.