KARACHI, Aug 21: The fate of a shelter home for women hangs in the balance, as owner of its premises wants it back but the organisation running the shelter home has not yet been able to get another premises where it could shift its office and over 20 shelterless women, presently living there, it is learnt here reliably.

A few years back, some non-government organisations feeling that there was a pressing need to establish a shelter home for the women exposed to domestic violence and those without shelter had founded an organisation. They wanted to set up a shelter home for women Panah, but did not have any funding to get an accommodation.

At that time, another NGO, Ida Rieu Welfare Association came forward and generously offered its premises of the Old People’s Home, located at Purani Numaish, for two years without any charges. The sources said that the Panah considered two years to be sufficient time to arrange for permanent premises.

The Old People’s Home had been constructed by the Infaq Foundation and there were conflicting reports saying that it was either under utilised or was not being utilised for over a year, before the Ida Rieu handed it over to the Panah early in 2002.

The Panah, however, could not generate or get enough funds to get some other premises and requested Ida Rieu for one-year extension, which was given. Again when other premises could not be arranged, another extension was sought, which was also given and finally Aug 15, 2006 was set as the last date for vacating the premises.

The sources said that the due date had passed, but the Panah had not vacated the premises. The utilities to the Panah have been disconnected.

They said that the Panah had approached the Sindh government to get the possession of the Social Welfare Department’s Darul Aman, where the government put shelterless women. But still negotiations were being held and nothing concrete had come out. Efforts are being made, but it might take a few months before any other premises could be arranged where the Panah could be shifted.

The sources said that the Ida Rieu, one of the oldest and most credible NGOs that had been operating the largest educational facility for the handicapped in the city for over half a century, wanted the premises back to re-establish the Old People’s Home – the original purpose for which the building had been constructed by the donor.

The Panah, set up in 2002, has so far provided shelter to over 450 women and their accompanying children. It provides legal, medical aid to the inmates besides providing education as well as training in different trades to them so that they could earn a respectable livelihood after leaving Panah. Financial assistance is also provided to the deserving inmates for rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, the women, who have been provided shelter at Panah, have appealed to the concerned authorities to extend the lease period and allow functioning of the facility, within the premises of Ida Rieu School, Purani Numaish, till it gets an appropriate site.