ISLAMABAD, Aug 09 (APP): The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) has suggested improving access to justice for bonded labour and enhancing the capacity of District Vigilance Committees (DVCs) to suppress the use of bonded labour in the country.

The recommendations made part of a research study “The lssue of Bonded Labour in Pakistan: Brick kilns workers in PUNJAB & Tenant Farmers in Sindh” launched by the Commission on Wednesday.

The study says that the primary hope for change lies in the implementation of judicial rulings and the passing of new legislation, particularly with regard to agricultural tenancy rights and brick kilns.

The study states that existing laws regarding bonded Ilabour, including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 and subsequent provincial legislation, fail to protect laborers due to weak implementation.

It says that there is general disinterest on the part of state functionaries, who are often influenced by traditional feudal power structures that seek to maintain bonded labour.

The study shows that lack of implementation of Sindh Tenancy Act and feudal involvement provides cover to practices of debt-bondage.

It says that although the judiciary has established binding precedents for the abolition of rural debt-bondage, implementation of court judgments remains limited.

Speaking on this occasion, Chairperson NCHR Rabiya Javeri Agha said that the labourers lacked necessary facilities such as safety equipment, medical coverage, clean drinking water and social protection.

“Poverty-stricken and plagued by sharp inflation and exploitative employers, bonded laborers work in unregulated kilns with weak labour inspections, non-functional district vigilance committees (DVCs) and lax implementation of regulations,” she added.

The report recommends establishing or strengthening unions and other associations of labourers that would help to protect labour rights through collective bargaining and representation.

It also suggests revising the brick kiln registration process and developing a robust strategy to expedite the process by providing additional resources to the labour department and implementing incentives and enforcement mechanisms to ensure the registration of all brick kilns.

The study calls for increasing the incomes of labourers in fields where bonded labour is prevalent and prioritizing data collection and CNIC registration through mobile units. It urges to bring more such segments of the society into the electoral net.

The study further suggests that no family should be allowed to work as a single unit and children should not be permitted to work in brick kilns.

The study also calls for encouraging ethical buying standards through law, and that brick buyers must be pushed to procure bricks from kilns that provide a safe and decent working.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday said the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2023 passed by the Parliament has become a law that would enhance protection for the Margallah National wildlife park which was under constant stress from unchecked development.

The federal minister took to Twitter to share the enactment of the much-awaited legislation required to ensure optimized protection of the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP).

Senator Rehman wrote, “Passing the bill to provide for the protection, preservation, and management of nature in the Islamabad Capital Territory. It will now become law as the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2023.”

The minister tabled the landmark legislation at the lower and upper houses of the Parliament to meet the prerequisites of formulation of the law.

The basic objective of the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act 2023 is to upgrade the MHNP to international standards to demonstrate that the country could fulfill its international obligations relating to biodiversity and climate change and place it in a position to access emerging international financing and support available for protection of biodiversity such as Green Funds.

Moreover, it intends to introduce the concept of Nature (as opposed to only wildlife) which was all encompassing and in line with emerging best practices in the world for the protection of biodiversity.

The Board would be empowered to manage the MHNP and wildlife in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and which could not be subsumed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and it would also ensure financial strength and sustainability by empowering the Board to raise funds through collection of fees and charges and apply penalties for violation of national park and wildlife rules as was the established practice in the legislation of all the provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (APP): An Accountability Court (AC) on Wednesday transferred the LNG reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to the court of special judge central while declaring the case beyond the jurisdiction.

AC-I Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the verdict which was reserved previously after hearing arguments from the two sides. The defence side had challenged the maintainability of the case on the basis of amendments in NAB Act.

The court stated that the reference didn’t fall into its jurisdiction after the amendments in the NAB law and ordered to transfer it.

It may be mentioned her that the reference had named former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his son Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi, ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail, Sheikh Imran ul Haq, Agha Jan Akhter, Saeed Ahmed Khan, Aamir Naseem, Uzma Adil Khan, Shahid M. Aslam, Hussain Daood, Abdul Saman Dawood, Muhammad Amin and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam as accused.

The accused had challenged the maintainability of the reference in accountability court after amendments in the NAB law. The court announced its verdict today.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (APP): The newly appointed Global Development Initiative (GDI) Parliamentarian group, a sub-group of the National Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) met Charged Affairs and acting ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Pang Chunxue here at the SDGs Secretariat on Wednesday.

On the occasion, Pang Chunxue congratulated the GDI group, especially Convener Taskforce and SAPM Romina Khurshid Alam for the innovative initiative and said that the embassy was ready to work closely with the group.

Adviser to the GDI, Shakeel Ahmed Ramay told the forum that the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization would act as adviser to the Group.

Ramay is also CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-Civilization Research and Development.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 9 (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday served notices to respondents in an appeal of chairman PTI Imran Khan against his conviction in toshakhana criminal case.

The court also sought the case record from the trial court and said that it would firstly, hear the stance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the appeal.

A two judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case wherein the defence lawyers Khawaja Haris, Sardar Latif Khosa, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Baber Awan appeared before the court.

At the outset of the hearing, Sardar Latif Khosa said that the trial court had awarded maximum sentence to former prime minister as per the charges in the case.

The trial court had announced the verdict despite the appeal of the defence side against abolishing of the right of defence was pending with IHC, he said, the session court should have waited for the verdict of high court.

The lawyer alleged that the trial court had announced the verdict in haste and awarded three years jail term along Rs100,000 fine to the accused. He prayed the court to suspend the sentence of his client as it was considered a short term sentence.

The chief justice remarked that firstly, the bench would hear the stance of ECP and then would decide the matter. Sardar Latif Khosa prayed the court to fix the case tomorrow again for further hearing.

Khawaja Haris argued that the IHC had ordered the trial court to decide the matter pertaining maintainability of the case on daily basis but the trial court announced its verdict on the third day without hearing the defence counsel.

He said that he had reached the trial court before the announcement of the verdict but it refused to hear him.

The chief justice remarked that the court had served notices in the appeal and then would also view these points. Justice Farooq remarked that hearing on this appeal was not possible tomorrow as he would be on leave.

He observed that the case wouldn’t be prolonged till after the vacations as the appeal pertaining to the sentences and bails were being fixed early.

After this, the court adjourned further hearing of the case.

It may be mentioned here that a trial court had announced a three years imprisonment sentence along with Rs100,000 fine to Imran Khan in a criminal case lodged by the ECP.