Govt expands human rights protection, social welfare services in FY2026

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2026) The Government of Pakistan introduced significant policy, legislative and social welfare measures during FY2026 to strengthen human rights protections and improve services for vulnerable groups, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 revealed by the Ministry of Finance here on Thursday.

According to the survey, the government developed the National Policy on Ending Violence against Women, focusing on prevention, protection, prosecution and rehabilitation. Special measures were also introduced to engage men in preventing gender-based violence and to address emerging challenges such as technology-facilitated harassment in digital spaces.

The survey highlighted the enactment of key laws, including the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, ICT Domestic Violence Act 2026, and National Commission for Minorities Rights Act 2025, aimed at enhancing legal safeguards, improving access to justice and strengthening institutional mechanisms for human rights protection.

Pakistan also remained actively engaged in international human rights forums and fulfilled its reporting obligations under international frameworks, including the Universal Periodic Review and the Beijing Declaration.

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The Ministry of Human Rights signed cooperation agreements with partner countries to promote family welfare, gender equality and child protection.

At the grassroots level, Social Welfare Centres continued to play an important role in community development and service delivery. The Council on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) facilitated the issuance of 1,617 disability certificates through a one-window system supported by NADRA.

Meanwhile, the Women Welfare and Development Centre (WWDC) Islamabad provided vocational and technical training in 28 trades, including fashion designing and information technology. During the year, 1,451 women received skills training, while 292 women completed entrepreneurship programmes. The centre also conducted 80 awareness sessions on women’s rights and economic empowerment.

The Economic Survey further noted that awareness campaigns, educational programmes and capacity-building workshops were organized across the country to promote human rights education, gender equality and gender-sensitive policies in both the public and private sectors.