KARACHI: Sindh Ins­pector General of Police A.D. Khowaja on Thursday inaugurated a women and children protection desk at the office of DIG West Zone in Gulberg where only women police would be appointed to deal with cases of violence against women and children.

The IGP also inaugurated command and control room there through which the performance of police stations and police mobiles would be monitored.

Also read: Exclusive judges for cases of violence against women

Speaking on the occasion and later to the media, the IG said that sexual exploitation of women and children was a heinous crime.

He said it was time that citizens, instead of hiding such abuses, came forward and reported it to the police so that culprits were taken to task.

He pointed out that the establishment of women and children protection desk was aimed at preventing different kinds of abuses against women and children.

He said that cases pertaining to women and children would be dealt by only women officers associated with the desk.

Mr Khowaja admitted that generally male police officers did not hear grievances of women about domestic torture.

He added that the male police generally told such aggrieved women that this was “your domestic problem and try to solve it within the family”.

Now this desk has been established for curbing such abuses, besides, legislation was also in the pipeline to end violence against women and children, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2018