KARACHI, April 22: The Pakistan People’s Party on Saturday strongly condemned the Sindh administration’s handling of the case of Aruna and Moazzam, a forcibly separated couple.

In a statement, information secretary of the party’s women wing Shazia Marri (MPA) said that the authorities seemed not fearing the Almighty’s wrath as the two persons joined together through Nikah were separated against their will.

She said that the government’s highhandedness had already led to severe repercussions as people all over Pakistan were engaged in protests. The government, however, had been paying no heed to public outcry and brazenly indulging in illegalities.

She said that the country anxiously awaited the return of Benazir Bhutto in order to see a true transfer of power to the people. Activities had already begun to herald the arrival of the PPP chairperson, said Ms Marri, elaborating that the PPP women wing had been convening meetings in this regard across the province beginning on Sunday in Khairpur division, covering Sukkur and Ghotki. 

She demanded that the upcoming budget should have adequate allocations for the uplift of women, who constituted over 50 per cent of the population.

The PPP, she said, had always highlighted social issues and given priority to women. It had to its credit the establishment of key institutions, such as the women police stations and the First Women Bank, besides recruitment of over 50,000 women health workers. The PPP would continue to hold womenfolk as a priority and demand their just rights.

Ms Marri reiterated the PPP’s demand of free and fair elections under an independent election commission. She warned the government against hiding signs of the impending disaster resulting from its flawed policies, adding that if the government continued to adopt the warpath in its dealing with people, a collision of massive proportions would be inevitable.