The government has sent a bill that shuts down 10 regional and sub-regional offices of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for registration at the federal parliament.
The NHRC has taken exception to the bill prepared by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) saying it shuts down the regional offices instead of taking them into the federal structure, and deemed that the bill will affect the NHRC's autonomy and independence.
The bill set to be registered in the federal parliament has removed the provision that allows the NHRC to open regional, sub-regional and contact offices.
The bill has added a provision that allows litigation on the basis of NHRC's investigations. The NHRC, however, has expressed displeasure with the provision saying it makes the attorney general powerful on the issue of litigation.
The bill says the attorney general can request with the NHRC for additional investigation before filing cases and says it will be the NHRC's responsibility to do such additional investigation. It says the attorney general can file case if the NHRC sends additional evidence after study.
The NHRC has called this provision anti-constitutional. It has said the provision has made the NHRC accountable to the Office of the Attorney General and not toward the federal parliament as the Constitution states. The Constitution prohibits even the committees under the House of Representatives (HoR) from monitoring and evaluating the NHRC's works.
The bill also requires the NHRC to seek consent of the Finance Ministry for accepting financial assistance, and include it in the annual program. The NHRC has taken this provision as a restriction on financial autonomy.
The NHRC has written to the PMO expressing displeasure at the bill after an emergency meeting.
