QUETTA: Balochistan Minister for Education Raheela Durrani has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the health, dignity and well-being of women and girls across the province through decisive legislative action.

Presiding over a consultative meeting on Wednesday to strategise a joint assembly resolution on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) tax reforms, she said steps were underway to provide maximum facilities for the empowerment of women in Balochistan.

The consultative session, arranged by the MHM Working Group in collaboration with Unicef Pakistan, was participated in by policymakers, executive authorities and international development partners.

Former minister for health Rehmat Saleh Baloch stressed that removing financial barriers to basic health necessities is a shared legislative responsibility that requires immediate cross-party consensus.

Minister reaffirms govt’s commitment to women’s health and dignity

MHM Working Group chairperson Dr Tahira Kamal Umrani briefed the forum on the core agenda, saying that reducing or abolishing taxes on women’s health products to ease the economic burden on marginalised communities is a critical public health priority.

Balochistan Revenue Authority chairperson Abdullah Khan shared an administrative perspective, expressing readiness to review the proposal.

The proposed joint resolution aims to secure either a 50 per cent reduction or complete abolition of provincial taxes on essential MHH products, with the objective of making them affordable and accessible to the most vulnerable segments of society. Participants agreed to expedite the legislative drafting process, with lawmakers pledging to take ownership and table the resolution in the Balochistan Assembly, setting a strong precedent for women-focused policy reforms.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026