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HYDERABAD, Nov 30: The leaders of various NGOs have condemned violence against women and demanded active participation of women in every walk of life.
They were speaking at a one-day seminar on “discrimination against women,” which was organized by the Sindh Rural Development Society, SINGOF, and Aurat Foundation at Mir Colony, Tando Jam, on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, the secretary general, SINGOF, Mohammad Ilyas Khokhar, said that in one way or the other women were being subjected to physical and mental violence throughout the world, including the US, which claimed to be the champion of human rights.
He said that however violence against women was more pronounced in Pakistan.
He said uneducated and rural women were the worst sufferers.
He said an educated woman could play a prominent role in civil society.
Prof Aziz Chand and others said that in Pakistan the majority of women were deprived of even basic human rights such as education and health.
They said that a Pakistani woman suffered from a sense of insecurity and no special laws had been enacted to protect the rights of women.
They said that a victimized woman always sought refuge either at a police station or a Darul Aman, and added that while society was quick to raise its finger against such helpless women, no one came forward to help them.
They said that so far during the current year, 172 women had been killed in Sindh on different pretexts.
They said that women were being kidnapped and sold like cattle.
They said no society could become civilized without the active participation of women.
They demanded that they should be given representation in all walks of life, including planning and making policy decisions.
ASSURANCE PROVIDED: The provincial adviser for Home Affairs, Aftab Ahmed Shaikh, has assured the All Pakistan Akhbar Farosh Federation that strict action would be taken against the truck driver due to whose negligence Faqir Muhammad Shaikh, the brother of the joint secretary of the Federation, Shaikh Umer Din, was killed in Karachi.
This assurance was given to the president of the Federation, Syed Afzal Shah, who called on the provincial adviser on Sunday.
Mr Shah had complained that although the truck driver was arrested and the truck was impounded by police but on the very next day the driver and truck were released.
He said that police was performing a partisan role which had created unrest among 100,000 newspaper hawkers of the country.
He demanded that adequate compensation should be paid to the bereaved family.
PEACEFUL STRUGGLE: The chief of the Awami Tehrik, Rasool Bux Palejo, has urged the Sindhi people to continue their peaceful democratic struggle for their legal, constitutional and historical rights.
In a statement faxed to Dawn on Sunday, he said that the rulers were not prepared to restore the rights of the Sindhi people, and added that a prolonged struggle was needed to snatch these rights.
