MIRPURKHAS, May 3: Candidates of various political parties said at a seminar held here on Friday that they would raise voice against abuse of women and make them more secure and independent in keeping with religious and cultural traditions after coming to power.

They were speaking at the seminar on “candidate forum with village women” organised by Baanh Beli, a local NGO, in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German NGO, at a local hotel here.

Khairunnisa Mughal, general secretary of PPP women’s wing of Mirpurkhas chapter and a candidate for reserved seats for women, said that her party had made many laws to safeguard women’s rights. But there was still room for further improvement and a serious need for implementing the laws properly, she said.

She said that she would give priority to girls’ education after coming to power and urged affected women to come forward to register cases against their tormentors so that law could take its course against the culprits.

Irfan Mehboob Jilani, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate for PS-64, said that there was need for proper legislation to safeguard women’s rights. Police and other authorities concerned had failed to serve justice to the abused women but his party would give all due rights to women after coming to power, he said.

Maulana Hafeezur Rehman Faiz, district president of JUI-F, said that Islam had given all rights to women and eradicated all old customs which were directed against them. They should be aware of their rights and take advantage of the benefits and rights granted to them by their religion, he said.

Haji Noor Illahi Mughal, a candidate of Jamaat-i-Islami for PS-64, said that his was the only party whose leaders and workers were not involved in any corruption. The party’s manifesto pledged to resolve women’s problems and they would certainly get more rights if the JI was voted to power, he said.

Mufti Mohammad Sadiq Saeedi, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan candidate for PS- 64, regretted that elected representatives had kept themselves busy looting the national resources throughout the five-year tenure and ignored all other important issues.

He said that he would raise the issue of loadshedding in the assembly after being elected and resolve problems of Mirpurkhas city.

Masood Wassan, Sindh United Party candidate for PS-65, said that his party believed in the service of masses without discrimination and vowed he would redress people’s grievances after winning the seat.

Mohammad Haneef Memon, PPP candidate for PS-64, said that the speaker the of the National Assembly and the deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly were also a woman who made laws to make women more secure.