LAHORE: The Women Action Forum held a curtain raiser event at the Press Club on Monday where awards were given in commemoration of a violent day under Ziaul Haq’s regime.

The WAF activists recalled that on Feb 1, 1983, women held a walk from Regal Chowk to the Lahore High Court in protest against a new law introduced by Ziaul Haq which declared the testimony of one man equal to two by women.

During the walk, the police beat up poet Habib Jalib who was there to show solidarity with the women activists, while the event was covered by photojournalist Azhar Jafri. The awards were given to the both for that day.

Habib Jalib’s daughter Tahira received the award for her late father and also recited his poems.

The WAF announced on the occasion a similar walk would be held on the Mall on Feb 12 in remembrance of that dark day.

The Panel for deciding awards included Asma Jahangir, I.A.rehman, Rehana Taufiq, Nighat Saeed Khan, Husain Naqi, Zia Taufiq and Amar Sindhu.

The panel lauded the efforts of all human rights activists, especially the women, who were working towards gender equality in Pakistan.

Nighat Saeed Khan gave a brief history of the WAF and its milestones in changing the social fabric for women.

It was proclaimed at the end of the event that untill Pakistan became a secular country, religion was separated from the affairs of state and all citizens were considered equal before law, the country would never get rid of negative trends it was faced with.