MINGORA: Members of Khwendo Jirga (sisters’ council) here on Sunday demanded of the government to make an effective legislation for the protection of women in the country.

The demand was made during a jirga attended by a number of women of different areas in Swat. The jirga showed concern over the violence inflicted on women and claimed that even the courts failed to give them justice.

“If the religious sects are against the Protection of Women against Violence Act passed by the Punjab Assembly then they should suggest suitable laws for the protection of women in the country,” said Tabassum Adnan, chairperson of the council.

Members say cases of violence against women on the rise

She claimed that she had also received some severe cases of violence against women and swara from different areas of Malakand division.

“I have met a girl whose nose was chopped by her husband, another girl whose leg was axed and recently a girl whose ear was cut by her in-laws,” she added.

Ms Tabassum said that they had received reports from different areas that women who were killed in the name of honour were wrongly shown as suicide cases. She said that the jirga accepted the reservations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) regarding the women’s protection law, but appealed to it that they must talk about the women rights granted by Islam.

“Why the CII is silent on the increasing ratio of violence against women in the country,” she asked.

Other members of the jirga said that the government was not taking notice of the increasing violations of women rights in the country. They said that if a woman asked for share in the property her father or brothers became her enemy.

When contacted, MPA Nadia Sher Khan said that the provincial government was not overlooking the issues concerning women.

“Our government is regularly monitoring the women rights violations and follows them wherever such cases occur,” she said and asked women to immediately report to police if they come across such cases.

MNA Ayesha Syed said that women protection laws should be devised keeping in view the international and Islamic laws besides the cultural and religious values.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2016