ISLAMABAD July 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday hinted at introducing amendments to the laws relating to women to ensure justice and security for them.

Talking to a delegation of women parliamentarians of the Pakistan Muslim League and coalition partners, Mr Aziz said that the government would bring laws to protect women’s rights, provide them quick and cheap justice and enable them to play their due role in the society.

He said that the government was committed to economic, political and social empowerment of women as no country could progress without leveraging the potential of its female population.

He mentioned some steps taken by the government to empower women like the setting up of the National Commission on Women, increase in women’s quota in the Central Superior Services, decision to release women imprisoned for minor crimes, declaration of honour killing as murder, reservation of seats for women in local government institutions and rise in women’s seats in national and provincial assemblies

He said that the number of the women holding administrative posts had increased and they had been provided micro finance for their economic emancipation.

Apart from becoming part of local councils in great numbers and parliament, women were working in every sphere of life and they had a female governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and women pilots in the Pakistan Air Force and the PIA, he said.

The government was committed to ‘empower the women within the parameters defined by our religion, culture, traditions and values’ Mr Aziz said.

The women parliamentarians commended the government for showing political will to protect women’s rights and ensure a dignified place for them in the society.

PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Syed, some ministers and others attended the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Hussain said that the PML was working to safeguard women’s rights and provide them security and justice in the light of teachings of Holy Quran and Sunnat.