CERD/C/PAK/CO/20 page 2 B. Positive aspects 4. The Committee notes the commitments pledged by the State party, in particular with regard to the establishment of an independent national human rights institution and its commitment to promote equal rights of minorities, during the process of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council and encourages the State party to fulfil them. 5. The Committee notes with appreciation the constitutional provisions and other legislation aimed at establishing equality between all citizens of the State party, as well as the institutional framework for the protection of human rights, including the establishment of the Ministry of Minority Affairs as well as the National Commission for Minorities. The Committee also welcomes the special measures put in place to advance the equal enjoyment of rights by members of minority groups, such as reserved seats in the federal as well as provincial legislatures. 6. The Committee notes with appreciation the State party’s intention to ratify the amendments to article 8, paragraph 6, of the Convention. 7. The Committee welcomes the ratification by the State party of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2008. It also welcomes the State party’s signing of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and invites the State party to proceed with the process for the ratification and incorporation of the Covenant into domestic law. C. Concerns and recommendations 8. The Committee reiterates its concern about the lack of disaggregated statistical data in the report of the State party regarding the ethnic composition of its population and on the enjoyment by members of ethnic minorities, including non-citizens, of the rights protected under the Convention. The Committee recommends that the State party provide it with data on the ethnic composition of the population. The collection of such data should preferably be based on self-identification by the individuals concerned, and carried out in accordance with the Committee’s general recommendation VIII concerning the interpretation and application of article 1, paragraphs 1 and 4, of the Convention, and with paragraphs 10 and 11 of the guidelines for the submission of CERD-specific reports, approved at its seventy-first session (CERD/C/2007/1). The Committee wishes to emphasize that such information will permit a better assessment of the implementation of the Convention by State party and wishes to receive such information in the State party’s next periodic report. 9. The Committee reiterates its regret about the paucity of information on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), including the economic and social situation prevailing therein. It notes with