August 24, 2008	Sunday	Sha'aban 21, 1429

HYDERABAD, Aug 23: The president of the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), Zia Ahmed Awan, has said that incidents of violence against women and children continue to show a rapid increase in the province because of prevalence of tribal and feudal system and failure of parliament, judiciary and police to address the issue.

Therefore, his organisation had decided to set up Madadgar helpline in Hyderabad and various other cities of the province given rise in violence against women and children, Awan said.

He said that the organisation had established the country’s first helpline for victimised women and children.

Awan, who was awarded ‘Young Outstanding Person of the World’ award in 1995 in Japan, said that the helpline, which was successfully working in Karachi, effectively helped violence-hit children and women.

He claimed that violation of rights of women and children was rampant and it continued to show an increase.