KARACHI, Feb 20: The Karachi Women’s Peace Committee (KWPC) on Tuesday appealed to the president and the prime minister to take relevant steps in not only formulating laws, but ensuring effective implementation so that the women of Pakistan could enjoy their rights and dignity guaranteed by the Pakistan’s constitution.

“We urge the president to remove all bottlenecks, feudal control, tribal practices and weak law enforcement or else it is not only the women of Pakistan who will remain in constant threat but also the hope that Pakistan will achieve the status of a modern enlightened democratic state,” said a declaration issued by the signatories of various rights groups forming the peace committee.

Those who participated in the press conference held at the Karachi Press Club where that declaration was issued included: Dr Salima Ahmed, Nargis Rahman, Rashida Patel, Anis Haroon, Dr Shershah Syed, Dr Shameen Zainuddin, Prof Nuzhat William, Simi Kamal, Laila Sarfaraz, Shirin Rahmatulla, Dr Laila Hashwani, Dr Naseem Salahuddin, Dr Talat Pasha, Dr Razia Hasan, Sabiha Ghani, Nusrat Alam, Nargis Rahman, Dr Shamim Zainuddin, Uzma Noorani and others.

“It is a matter of urgent concern that crimes committed directly against women and underage girls have become more frequent, barbaric, more shameful and brazen, be it karo-kari, gang rape, mutilation, or the most unpardonable and outrageous, the parading of a woman’s modesty in public, which is an act of assault not on a single woman but on the whole of womanhood,” said the declaration.

The victim families’ FIRs were not registered, nor were they given protection till civil society organisations and the media made huge hue and cry pressuring the authorities to take the necessary action.

They said the action in cases relating to heinous crimes committed against women should be prompt, local councillors and MPAs should effectively monitor their own areas ensuring that citizens had proper access to law and stronger deterrent are urged such as public punishment for those found guilty of gang rape and disrobing and parading of women in public.

They said the writ of the law must be strengthened and made supreme over parallel systems such as tribal jirgas and panchayats that were legally banned or else every legislation that become laws to protect women and enhance her status were meaningless.