May 26, 2008	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

KARACHI, May 25: The government would provide relief to deprived sections of society, Federal Information Minister Sherry Rehman said here on Sunday.

Addressing an international conference on ‘Women’s leadership’, she said provision of relief would not be an easy task because of economic problems left by the previous unrepresentative government. She said the PPP had accepted such challenges before and “we will overcome all difficulties”.

Women would be get all their rights in accordance with Articles 25 and 34 of the Constitution, she said.

The conference was organised by the Women Development Department of the government of Sindh in collaboration with the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI).

Ms Rehman, who also holds the portfolio of Women Development, said that she had initiated a five-point programme which would be placed before the cabinet and then the National Assembly.

The minister said that according to the programme, women would be ensured 20 per cent “participation in public limited and autonomous bodies”.

She said that government land would be allotted all over the country to women to would ensure their status in their families.

Ms Rehman said that women would be empowered and they would be brought in the national mainstream at all levels. “Women will be given opportunities of making choices.”

She said that domestic violence was a big problem for women and the PPP had presented a bill to curb violence against women, which would be adopted by the National Assembly and become a law.

—APP