British Council team meets minister

LAHORE: A delegation of British Council, led by country director Amir Ramzan called on Punjab Minister for Human Rights & Minorities Affairs (HR&MA) Ijaz Alam Augustine at the camp office on Friday.

Amir Ramzan briefed the minister about a programme. He said that Awaz-II was a foreign, commonwealth and development office funded programme and run by the British Council in 22 districts of Punjab and KP to promote the rights of children, womenfolk, youth, religious minorities, persons with disabilities, marginalised and vulnerable groups to strengthen their development.

The aim of the project was to overcome child labour, early and forced marriages, gender-based violence and promotion of social cohesion and tolerance in the society. The minister hoped that this programme would help in the protection of human rights.

The HR&MA department is protecting the rights of vulnerable segments because the Punjab government believed in dignity and fair treatment of every person and their protection in accordance with the law.

The government, he said, was committed to translating the human rights principles enshrined in the Constitution into legislation with the robust institutional mechanism.