QUETTA: Women parliamentarians can now bring along their children to the assembly as the provincial government has decided to set up a daycare centre on the premises of the legislature.

During the last session, Balochistan Awami Party MPA Mahjabeen Shireen was criticised by fellow lawmakers for bringing her child to the assembly session.

The MPA had cited women politicians of other countries taking their children to parliament sessions so thought it would be the same in Pakistan. However, to her disappointment, Ms Shireen was informed that bringing children to the assembly was against the law.

Following the negative response from the provincial political circle, Ms Shireen said that she had decided to run a campaign to establish daycare facilities in assemblies as well as in all government departments.

On Thursday, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani decided to establish a daycare centre on the Balochistan Assembly premises to provide women parliamentarians the facility to bring their children to work.

The provincial government spokesman Mir Liaquat Ali Shahwani said: “The government would ensure all facilities in the assembly’s daycare centre that would allow women parliamentarians to bring their toddlers during assembly sessions.”

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019