June 17, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 16: Sindh Minister for Women Development Touqeer Fatima Bhutto has said that the government will make special laws to eliminate the black and inhuman custom of karo-kari and violence against women.

Speaking at a prize distribution ceremony at the Hayat Girls Secondary School, the minister said that the government would set up complaint centres to provide justice to the victims of black traditions.

She stressed that only an educated mother could fight against black and outdated customs and traditions like karo-kari.

The previous government which had entered come to power through backdoor had paid no attention to education, especially female education, she said.

The people’s government had received a legacy of price hike, unemployment, poverty and hunger from the previous government and was doing everything possible to address the gigantic problems, she said.

In response to the demand of school management for enrolment of women in defence forces, Ms Fatima assured that she would raise the issue on the floor of Sindh assembly to increase women’s quota from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.

She said that the government would provide funds to the poor and skilled women to enable them to stand on their own feet under microfinancing scheme.

The minister said another ceremony for distribution of scholarship among students at a school in Dadu, that more training schools for women would be established in remote area of Kachho and other poverty-hit areas of the province to improve their standard of living.

MPA Kulsoom Chandio and MPA Rashida Panhwar said that women would be encouraged to work shoulder to shoulder with men and announce that different development projects for women would be launched in the remote areas of the district.