Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed on Friday gave away motorcycles to female lawyers during a ceremony at the Sindh High Court in Karachi.

The top judge handed over keys of motorbikes to 45 lawyers whose names were selected through a draw.

The ceremony was a part of the 'Women On Wheels' project of the Salman Sufi Foundation and was organised jointly by the foundation and Sindh High Court Bar Association in connection with International Women's Day to be observed on March 8.

Under the initiative, women will also be provided the training to ride motorcycles.

Addressing the event, Justice Ahmed said he was very glad to hear that motorcycles were being gifted to women.

He congratulated the organisers of the ceremony but said that in his opinion, "motorcycle is a dangerous means of transport".

"Women tend to talk a lot. You can't talk while riding a motorcycle," he said jokingly.

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh in his remarks said he had been hearing about women's rights since his childhood but "this is the first time I've seen people actually do something for women."

Besides senior judges, the ceremony was attended by the presidents of all bar associations and senior lawyers.

The female lawyers were enthusiastic about riding their new motorbikes and said it would lessen their travelling worries.

The Women on Wheels initiative aims to empower Pakistani women by "providing them with the necessary skill-set and the means to increase their mobility and independence through the provision of free motorcycle training lessons", according to its Facebook page.