KARACHI, 21: Speakers at a meeting on Monday said that the best way to pay tributes to the services of the late Shahla Zia, a leading women rights activist, was to carry forward her mission. The cause of protecting women’s right had always remained near to her heart, they noted.
The meeting was organized by an NGO working for women’s rights, the Aurat Foundation. A 10-minute film highlighting the role of Shahla Zia, who died a few days back, in the struggle for women’s rights, was also screened.
Justice (r) Sabihuddin Ahmad, Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Anis Haroon, Kunwar Khalid Yunus, Iqbal Haider, Zubaida Mustafa, Arif Hassan, Kaiser Bengali, Dr Shershah Syed, Sheen Farrukh and Nuzhat Kidwai were among those who spoke on the occasion.
Ms Zia was not at all a ‘drawing room activist’, but her crusade was stretched over a quarter of a century during which she always remained in the forefront, taking part in every event organized in protest against the laws discriminatory against women.
Her active role in the struggle had led to her detention repeatedly. She had also been subjected to brutal treatment by the law-enforcement agencies many a times, according to the speakers.
They pointed out that Shahla Zia had carried out an enormous amount of research on women’s rights. Her work would continue to provide guidance to fellow activists in their course of the struggle, they added.
They said that the late activist had lobbied with parliamentarians and provided them with critical analyses of various discriminatory laws enacted and implemented during Gen Zia’s era only to affect the weaker sections of society, mainly women.
Highlighting her commitment with the cause, they acknowledged her sincerity and honesty, recalling that she would quit many committees set up by government whenever she felt that the government’s views and moves were in conflict with the interest of women or other aggrieved people.
The speakers made mention of the late activist’s remarkable contribution towards the preparation of the reports produced and put forward by government bodies and NGOs on women’s issues.
In this context, they particularly referred to Ms Zia’s significant contribution to the report on the status of women which was prepared by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid.
The report had stressed on a review of various laws found discriminatory towards women and other weaker sections of the society.
Apart from women’s issues, she had also moved the Supreme Court against Wapda’s plan to install a grid station within a residential area.
The apex court had restrained Wapda from pursuing the plan and the verdict had repeatedly been quoted in various courts of other countries.
The speakers said that Ms Zia, along with a few other women colleagues, had established, probably the first of its kind, an all-women law firm in Lahore. She appeared always ready to move against gender bias, they said.
Ms Zia has written various books and reports, besides extending her assistance in preparing drafts of amendments to certain discriminatory laws.
