Ansar Burney won’t draw salary
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney has announced that he would not accept any salary from his position as the Federal Minister and stated that all income from his position is to be donated for the fines to release women, children and elderly prisoners from prisons and remand homes throughout the country.
While talking to different delegations in his office on Monday, Burney said that he had not accepted the offer to be a Federal Minister for personal benefits but because he wanted to work for the betterment of human rights in the country and to ensure that free and fair independent elections take place.
Burney stated that he had been made several offers in the past by various governments to become a Federal Minister; and even Prime Minister on one occasion but he had refused because he did not want to be a political stooge or disappoint those who have supported him all these years.
However, he said, that he felt now was a time when the country really needed him and as a Pakistani he could not refuse to stand by his country and nation. This was why he accepted the offer to be a Federal Minister and decided to take on the challenge of establishing a full flash ministry for human rights under his supervision. In this regard Burney said that he would continue the work as he has been doing for nearly 30 years as a human rights activist; by taking it to a larger Federal Government level and brining about the changes and implementing policies he has been advocating for all these years.
Burney stated that this was an opportunity for him to help the common people of Pakistan more than he has ever been able to before. And stated that because his acceptance to become federal minister was only to improve human rights in the country and not for personal benefit, he would therefore spend all his time and resources as a Federal Minister to bring about as much of a change and help as many people as possible. And so, he would spend his entire salary as Federal Minister to pay for fines for the release of those in most need.
Burney said his main aim during his tenure would be to achieve as much as possible in the field of human rights and to bring justice to the common people. He said he would concentrate on the field of prisoner’s rights, women’s rights, children’s rights, anti-human trafficking (particularly child camel jockeys and trafficking of girls to ME countries) and general human rights.
He said he would also work towards freedom of speech and freedom of press; and in this regard he has already raised the issue to removing curbs on the media in the cabinet.