Thanks to Govt apathy, SHRC will be defunct from today Members complete term * No hearings for now UMER MAQbool Srinagar, June 27: J&K’s rights watchdog—State Human Rights Commission—will be completely defunct from Saturday as its remaining two members shall complete their term. This is for the first time since the establishment of the SHRC that it would be without a member. The overall strength of the SHRC—which looks into human rights violations in J&K—is five, including four members and the chairman. The body is functioning without a full-fledged chairman for long, though RafiqFida is temporarily heading it. Sources told Greater Kashmir that Fida and Amlok Singh, appointed as the SHRC members on June 28, 2011, are completing their term on Saturday. “With the three-year term of RafiqFida and Amlok Singh ending, the Commission would almost cease to function from tomorrow. Now the Commission’s proceedings would come to a halt in absence of any member,” the sources said, adding, “Only complaints can be lodged in the Commission from Saturday and no hearing can take place.” The ex-SHRC chairperson Justice (Retd) Bashir-ud-Din retired in October 2011 and since then the Government has failed to make a suitable replacement. While Abdul Rashid Khan, former Inspector General of Police, completed his term as SHRC member in November 2011, another member Javaid Ahmad Kawoos attained superannuation on October 24, 2013. The only members left in the Commission were Singh and Fida. As per the Jammu and Kashmir Protection of Human Rights Act-1997, the Commission comprises of a chairperson and four other members. The Chairperson and members, as per the Act, are appointed by a high-powered panel headed by Chief Minister and comprises Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Chairman of the Legislative Council, Home Minister of the State, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council. Curiously, after taking over as the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had pledged to adequately strengthen the rights body. “I would ensure strengthening of the Commission to the extent that its Chairman need not leave the way Justice (Retd.) Ali Muhammad Mir had left,” Omar had said. In July 2006, the then Chairman of the SHRC, Justice AM Mir, resigned in protest against “growing human rights violations in the state and non-implementation of the Commission’s recommendations.” When contacted, State Law Secretary Muhammad Ashraf Mir admitted that two members who were running the Commission are completing their term on Saturday. He, however, said the government is committed to strengthen the rights body. “We will shortly convene a meeting of the selection panel to finalize the process,” he said. Mir said a meeting of selection panel convened in Jammu earlier this year was put off due to imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the LokSabha polls. Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 Jun 2014 21:30:00 Makkah time Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 Jun 2014 18:30:00 GMT Lastupdate on
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 06:32:52 +0000
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