The Deputy Director of the Ministry of Human Rights, Ms. Khaola Batool, participated virtually as a keynote speaker. In her session, she provided an overview of Pakistan’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021–2026) and its alignment with corporate governance. She elaborated on the growing significance of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in business operations. She also discussed the NAP-BHR’s benchmarks, enforcement mechanisms as well as future trajectory of human rights due diligence in Pakistan. She also underlining the need for businesses to integrate human rights considerations into their corporate reporting and governance frameworks.

A key focus of her presentation was the introduction and dissemination of a Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) Checklist. She explained the checklist's critical significance as a practical tool for businesses to structure their human rights assessments and disclosures. She detailed how the checklist provides a clear framework for companies to integrate into their annual reporting processes, ensuring that human rights performance is measured, reported, and improved upon consistently. Further, Deputy Director, Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department, Punjab also gave presentation on implementation on NAP-BHR at provincial level. He highlighted passage of laws in recent years including Punjab Domestic Workers Act, 2019 and Punjab Home based Worker Act, 2023 which are critical towards protection of rights of workers.

The workshop facilitated constructive discussions on Pakistan’s evolving regulatory landscape and the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation in promoting business integrity and human rights. Participants provided valuable recommendations to enhance corporate transparency and align business practices with national and international standards.

The Regional Director, RDHR, Lahore concluded with a shared commitment to continue collaboration between the public and private sectors to advance responsible business conduct in Pakistan.