NA Approves Rs1.74B for Human Rights in FY26

Islamabad, June 25, 2025 — The National Assembly on Wednesday greenlit five demands for grants totaling Rs1.74 billion to bolster the Human Rights Division and its affiliated institutions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, with Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb presenting the allocations, covering current and development expenditures. The approved funds include Rs1,273,159,000 for the Human Rights Division, Rs235,816,000 for the National Commission for Human Rights, Rs92,789,000 for the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, Rs118,750,000 for the National Commission on the Status of Women, and Rs23,000,000 for development spending.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar, concluding debate on opposition cut motions, lamented the unacknowledged legislative gains, spotlighting the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Christian marriage laws, and Anti-Rape Investigation Rooms as significant reforms. He rebuked the opposition’s focus on petty grievances and Adiala Jail, urging constructive engagement within constitutional norms. Tarar framed the budget as a serious national matter, invoking Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, and Maryam Nawaz’s sacrifices, and stressed protecting individual rights, citing the cultural sanctity of ‘chadar and chardiwari’.

Web context highlights Pakistan’s human rights gaps (e.g., child marriage rates, web ID: 0), while posts found on X show mixed views—some praise reforms, others question funding efficacy. Critically, the narrative of “progressive reform” may mask implementation challenges—web data points to resource shortages, and X sentiment suggests distrust in tangible outcomes, hinting at underlying issues.