Sep 30, 2025
Peshawar, 30th September 2025
The first meeting of the Provincial Steering Committee on the National Action Plan on Business & Human Rights (NAP-BHR) was held today at the Law Department under the chairmanship of Mr. Ayaz Khan, Additional Secretary (G) Law Department.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Social Welfare Department, Labour Department, Industries Department, and Mr. Ghulam Ali, Director General Law & Human Rights Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who also serves as Member-cum-Secretary of the Committee.
The primary focus of this inaugural session was to orient all members on the concept of Business & Human Rights (BHR) and its importance for the province. Mr. Ghulam Ali highlighted that the NAP-BHR, launched in 2021 and expiring in 2026, had not received the expected follow-up in earlier years, and emphasized the need for a province-specific framework with clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), timelines and training modules.
A detailed presentation was delivered by Ms. Ambar, Technical Lead on BHR from UNDP under Haqooq-e-Pakistan Phase-II, outlining the State’s obligations, global developments and the principles of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD).
The Committee agreed on the following way forward:
• Reconstitution of the Committee by including more relevant departments, civil society and the private sector.
• Preparation of a province-specific implementation plan with KPIs and timelines.
• Extensive consultations with provincial stakeholders, including district-level human rights formations.
• Technical support and awareness campaigns in collaboration with UNDP.
The Chair appreciated the orientation provided and stressed that this first meeting marks the beginning of a collective effort to build a robust and inclusive provincial framework on Business & Human Rights.
