DERA ISMAIL KHAN: MPs call for empowerment of women
By Our Correspondent
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 26: Women elected representatives have said that equal participation of both men and women in the decision-making process is an essential prerequisite for effective and true democracy.
According to a survey conducted by an NGO, women needed equal representation on all decision-making forums as it was a precondition for democracy’s growth in Pakistan.
Salma Babar, People’s Party Parliamentarian MPA from D.I. Khan said major decisions that affect lives were made primarily by the male-dominated bodies, with no participation by women.
She said Dera Ismail Khan was a backward, far-flung area of the NWFP but she had started politics from here and joined PPP under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he had come here in late 1960s.
Salma Babar said provision of natural gas to Dera Ismail Khan will be her top priority for which she will make efforts with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the elected MNA from the area, and other representatives.
She demanded a 20-bed women ward in DHQ Teaching Hospital and daily PIA flights from D.I. Khan with night landing facility.
She said there was a need to improve the existing government schools instead of opening new ones.
Begum Bilquees Ara, a woman district councillor, said 242 women councillors were elected in the local bodies elections from D.I. Khan district. They all were facing problems in getting development activities started as funds had not been allocated to them.
Naheed Bukhari, district councillor, said women councillors were completely ignored on local bodies institutions and were not even invited to union council meetings.
Begum Shamshad Gandapur, tehsil councillor, alleged that only some select councillors had been allocated funds for their developmental schemes, while most others had been ignored.
Begum Sanjida Yousaf, district councillor and member, public safety commission, called upon women councillors to forge unity in order to get their due rights.
