KARACHI: Women call for end to bombing on civilians
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 23: A peaceful demonstration, organized by various NGOs working for the betterment of women, on Tuesday, called for an immediate end to the US-led bombing on Afghanistan.
The women, who staged the demonstration at the Press Club, were raising slogans for acceptance of their demands, urging the United States and its allies to stop attacks on Afghan cities due to which, they said, innocent civilians, including women and children, were being killed.
They condemned the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and termed it wicked and evil acts of sick minds.
The protesters said that it was imperative for all the nations to use their competent minds and superior technologies to unearth the criminals and eliminate them along with their networks.
But the bombardment of the helpless civilians of a country, already traumatized by hunger and war, defied human compassion and all norms of justice and fair play, they maintained.
The demonstrators said that they stood firmly behind the government’s policy to protect the national interest, but at the same time the continuous bombing of the civilian population of Afghanistan could not be condoned.
They said that it was a matter of shame that the superior and sophisticated technology of the western world had failed to locate the terrorists.
Another terrible human tragedy was being witnessed in which, they said, women and children were trapped in crossfire, forced to seek shelter in remote areas with winter aggravating their plight.
They said that killing of 6,000 innocent civilians in the US could not justify the annihilation of the Afghans. They said that the persistent aerial strikes on Afghanistan would swell an influx of refugees into the surrounding countries destabilising the entire region.
The participants called for a political solution through mediations and negotiations within Afghanistan to bring about a viable peace.
“To eliminate terrorism in the world, all the outstanding issues such as Kashmir, Palestine etc, should be resolved, besides giving all the oppressed peoples their rights,” they demanded.
The protesters raised slogans which included: “To eliminate terrorism, make peace not war”; “UN resolve all outstanding conflicts, give justice to oppressed peoples”; “US coalition stop the shameful bombardment of helpless civilians in Afghanistan”; “No issue has ever been solved by waging war”; “We are against terrorism, the world must stop killing women and children in the name of justice and peace.”
The demonstration concluded with a prayer, led by Shaista Zaidi, Nargis Rehman, Rehana Afroze, calling for an end to terrorism, end to the bombing on Afghanistan, prevalence of peace and harmony in the world, and integrity and solidarity of Pakistan.
The demonstration was jointly organized by Karachi Peace Women’s Committee, Bazm-i-Aamna, and Working Women Welfare Trust, while the representatives of various other NGOs including Lyari Women’s Skill Development, Lawyers for Human Rights, Mufaad-i- Aamma (HRCP), Saarc Women Association, Shehri, CEDF, Pawla, Falah Association, SEWA, Ladies Forum, Helpline, HANDS, Tehrik-i- Niswan, EAWS, Samaj Sudhar Tehrik, Patients Welfare Association, etc also participated.
KARACHI, Oct 23: A peaceful demonstration, organized by various NGOs working for the betterment of women, on Tuesday, called for an immediate end to the US-led bombing on Afghanistan.
