KARACHI, Aug 10: Sindh Minister for Women Development Dr Saeeda Malik has described Pakistan as an ‘over-legislated country’ with no effective enforcement of laws as compared to the developed countries of the world which, she observed, had fewer but effectively enforced laws.

She pointed out that a law against the infamous, inhuman and un-Islamic tradition of honour killing (karo-kari) had been introduced, and said: “The credit goes to the present government which took the initiative for the first time in the history of the country.”

However, she added, the question was of its effective enforcement.

Dr Malik was speaking at the concluding proceedings of the three-day ‘International Youth Jam-2005’ conference organized by the Azad Foundation and Aalians International here on Wednesday.

Delegates from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh participated in the conference where various issues, like women empowerment, trafficking in women, drug addiction, etc., were discussed under the theme of Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future.

The minister stressed understanding between men and women who were supposed to work shoulder to shoulder. Referring to women work force in Pakistan, she observed that a nation rendering its 50 per cent of population workless could not develop and prosper.

Making a reference to the saying that “there is a woman behind the success of a man,” she viewed that “there is always a man behind a successful woman,” and said that the two genders bore equal importance and both of them must support each other.

About the performance of her department, the minister said that a complaint cell had been established at the Sindh Secretariat with a lawyer, a social worker and a woman DSP present to assist any woman seeking help. “Hundreds of problems have so far been resolved through the cell,” she said.

Dr Malik also spoke of the orientation programmes organized by her department for women councillors. Besides, she said, the department imparted computer training to women councillors and had already made 1,500 of them computer literate.

“The government is working for political, economic and social empowerment of women and for the purpose micro credit schemes had been introduced. Maximum women representation the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and local councils was also an evidence of the sincere efforts being made towards achieving the goal, she said, adding that the enthusiasm among womenfolk owing to the government policies could be gauged from the fact that more than 52,000 women were contesting different seats in the forthcoming local body elections.

Dr Khalida Ghous of the Karachi University and a German delegate also spoke in the morning session.—PPI