MULTAN: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will formally open the first Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) here today (Saturday).

The initiative was taken under the Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) and it would be the country’s first centre for female survivors of violence, stated an official release issued on Friday. The chief minister would be accompanied by various ambassadors on the occasion.

SRU Director General Salman Sufi said the unit had worked hard to establish mechanisms for implementation of the women’s protection bill, and the VAWC was one such initiative to eliminate violence against women.

Sufi claimed it would be the first centre in South Asia where women would be able to get justice under one roof in case of any kind of torture or harassment.

Located at Matti Tal Road here, the centre would provide free legal and medical assistance to aggrieved women besides free accommodation and cooperation to them to ensure transparency in investigations. Trained female staff would be deputed to deal with complainants.

Sufi also disclosed that the home department had declared the VAWC a police station to ensure that the process of complaints relevant to police be completed under one roof.

The centre would be run through cooperation from the social welfare department and Baitul Maal.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2017