Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan stands committed to the protection, promotion and practice of human rights to foster peace and democracy for empowerment of its people. In a message on the occasion of Universal Human Rights Day falling on December 10, the Prime Minister said the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees freedoms to its people including all minorities.

He said, “the Universal Human Rights Day is an important landmark in the history of the United Nations. Every nation of the world celebrates this day to commemorate the importance of Human Rights in the perspective of the present day world.”
“It is a day to commit ourselves to the cause of human freedom, liberty, dignity and self-esteem,” he said adding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the guiding force leading every nation towards a unified goal to restore the human dignity to the highest level of humanism.
The Prime Minister said the main objective of all the humanistic movements of the world has always been to restore human dignity and humanize the world culture.
Pakistan is among the countries that have committed themselves to the promotion and protection of Human Rights. Human Rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have emerged from the basic principles of Islam, he noted.
Gilani said these rights are enshrined in the Last Sermon of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that he delivered on the occasion of “Hujja-tul-Wida”.
It guarantees equality with equity and prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, colour, race or religion, he added.
He said this year the Universal Human Rights Day falls within the month of Moharram, which highlights the importance of sacrifice for a noble cause of truth.
He said, “the Government is bound to respond more vocally to the vulnerable and marginalized sections of society. We have taken a number of political, economic and legislative reforms to make sure that the rights of underprivileged sections of society are safeguarded.”
Initiatives such as BISP and enactment of various pro-women laws are practical manifestation of the democratic government’s resolve to improve the well-being of marginalized sections, he said adding peace and democracy are essential to each other.
The Prime Minister said the present democratic government is doing its best to promote peace and democracy to develop a society marked by a culture of harmony, goodwill and peace.
“We are conscious of our international commitments and obligations. The Convention Against Torture and International Convention on Civil and Political Rights have been ratified by Pakistan.”
“To see them implemented in letter and spirit is our goal. The government and people of Pakistan are committed to eliminate all forms of terrorism because violence and terrorism negate the spirit of human rights and Islamic ethos.”
The Prime Minister said, “on the Universal Human Rights Day, let us pledge to work more resolutely to safeguard the economic, political and constitutional rights of the people.”