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Parliamentary Committees

The Parliament of Pakistan is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of the Senate as the upper house and the National Assembly as the lower house.

The government of Pakistan attaches great importance to human rights issues, and several Committees have been formed at the federal and provincial levels to deal with the subject covering both the social and legal aspect of human rights issues.

Federal Parliamentry Committees

The Parliament of Pakistan is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of the Senate as the upper house and the National Assembly as the lower house. Its purpose is to represent the electorate, make laws, and oversee the government.

In each house, exist Committees made up of 20 or fewer members. Committees consider policy issues, scrutinise government work and policies, expenditure, or even broader topics like economy and health and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation, members can also suggest amendments. According to the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business 2007, there should be a standing committee for each ministry of the government. The Committees play an important role of oversight and monitoring the working of the relevant Ministries of the Government. These have established traditions of sovereignty of the Parliament over the years to deal with a wide range of issues of national importance and public interest.

Below are Parliamentary Committees which look over issues related to human rights in Pakistan:

    SENATE FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

    NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

    SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW AND JUSTICE

    NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON LAW AND JUSTICE

    SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILD PROTECTION

Provincial Parliamentry Committees

At the provincial level, a unicameral legislature system exists. Each provincial assembly is tasked to examine and scrutinize the accounts maintained by the Provincial Government and to supervise various branches of the Government through various Committees and Sub-Committees.

Below are Provincial Committees which look over issues related to human rights in Pakistan:

    Balochistan Standing Committee on Law, Parliamentary Affairs, Prosecution and Human Rights

    Sindh Standing Committee on Law & Parliamentary Affairs and Human RightsSindh Standing Committee on Law & Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights

    Punjab Standing Committee on Human Rights and Minority Affairs

    Punjab Standing Committee on Law

    Punjab Standing Committee on Gender Mainstreaming (Women Development)

    KP Standing Committee on Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights