ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Haji Gulbar Khan and Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Nilofar Bakhtiar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the establishment of Gilgit-Baltistan Commission on the Status of Women.

The signing ceremony was held at the GB House in Islamabad on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Bakhtiar said: “We proudly succeeded in framing the law for GB commission followed by the Bill approved by GB assembly last year.”

She said NCSW and its national and UN partners jointly achieved the milestone and now every province and region of Pakistan has commissions on the status of women.

“Our target and mission is to strengthen these commissions to ensure safeguarding women’s rights,” she said.

“We believe that by working together, we can make significant progress in securing a safer and more equitable environment for all. NCSW particularly wants to acknowledge the continuous and unconditional support of Dilshad Bano, the GB minister for women development,” Ms Baktiar said.

The chief minister reassured his commitment to provide every possible support for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in Gilgit-Baltistan.

He termed the day a great success for those struggling for decades to create an enabling environment for all the weak and vulnerable segments of population.

UNFPA country representative Dr Luay Shabany congratulated the establishment of the GB commission on the status of Women.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2023