KARACHI: Councillors seek end to laws against women
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 21: Speakers at a meeting on Tuesday urged the women councillors to forge unity among their ranks and continue struggle for their own rights as well as for the rights of women folk in general.
They were speaking at the concluding session of the two-day provincial moot of women councillors on “Towards developing a support network for women councillors” organized by the Aurat Foundation, that was attended by over 200 councillors from all over the province.
A women councillors’ organization, the Women Councillors’ Ittehad, was also formed on the occasion, and an ad hoc body was nominated, which after holding meetings with the women councillors in every district of the province, would hold a provincial meeting to elect its office-bearers.
The conference also passed resolutions demanding abolition of laws formulated by the dictatorial regime of Gen Zia, terming these discriminatory towards women and other weaker sections of the society.
The councillors demanded that laws regarding the Karo Kari be formulated, with strict punishments for the culprits, to act as effective deterrent against the menace.
They also demanded that specific laws regarding domestic violence be formulated and such acts be treated as criminal offences and the culprits be punished accordingly.
Sindh chief minister’s advisor on Local Government, Waseem Akhtar, referring to the issues raised earlier, said that not only representation of women was important but it was also equally important that the women were given their due powers so that they could play their role effectively.
Referring to an other point, raised earlier, he said that women councillors had the right to vote at the time of budget etc, which was very important right and that they should use this right to get their development projects approved.
The advisor agreed, in principle, that if Nazims were given salaries, why the councillors were being deprived of such benefits, arguing that the councillors too were working for the welfare of the people.
He urged the women to get educated and also educate their children, particularly the girls, saying that education, besides providing a better understanding of the problems, could bring economic and political freedom.
There were less chances of exploitation of an educated and economically and politically empowered woman, he added.
He said that if the councillors had information regarding any irregularities or financial misappropriation, they could directly approach the Local Government Commission or they could also send report to him. He said that if the councillors, particularly women councillors, became more active they could effectively check the bureaucratic corruption.
He said that the Sindh Local Government Ordinance made it clear that there was no provision for advisors or coordinators to the Nazims, but there was no restrictions if anybody wished to serve voluntarily, making it clear that such volunteers, however, could not get any salary or other benefits from the public funds, urging the councillors to point out violations of the ordinance.
Hyderabad Deputy Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan said that the local government system was democratic in nature, alleging that the bureaucrats, whose powers had been curbed under this system, had been conspiring to fail the system.
He also suggested that some portions of the budget allocations be reserved for the women councillors, till ‘anti-woman biases’ were removed from among the male councillors and bureaucrats, urging the male officials to show tolerance in accepting the role of the women councillors in governance.
Earlier, councillors, raising their issues said that while under the Ordinance the districts were supposed to shed some of their functions and powers to the talukas and talukas to the union councils, but in practice the districts rather than giving powers to talukas etc, had even encroached upon some of the functions that the ordinace had placed under talukas. He also complained that collection of water tax had been assigned to contractors.
They demanded that ombudsmen be appointed to effectively check corruption and inefficiency at the district level, complaining that the Public Safety Commissions had yet not been formed in many of the districts, though the councils had already nominated their representatives for such bodies long time back.
They also demanded that amendments be made in the ordinance and the role of women councillors be clearly defined, and till that time, women councillors be given separate funds in the budget.
One of the councillors alleged that local bodies were created to provide base and support to Gen Pervaiz Musharraf in his referendum, and after the referendum the councillors were being ignored.
Another councillor said that if the Islamic laws were implemented in the country, not only the society but the status of women in it would also improve.
