ISLAMABAD,
March 7 (IslamOnline) - Pakistan, a close ally of the United States in its war
against "terrorism", rejected the U.S. State Department Report on
human rights Tuesday as "factually inaccurate and unwarranted", adding
that it reflected the tendency of some countries 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 included the 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
the elimination of child labor, and the establishment of a fund for
rehabilitation of working children.
The
government, it added, has amended the 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 the worst forms of child labor. It also 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.