SUKKUR, Feb 5: Former Chief Justice of Sindh Justice (Retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid has said that under relevant laws women cannot be sent to prison in cases of minor nature as well as in cases of National Accountability Bureau and police cannot detain them in lockup for more than 24 hours.

He said during an address at a seminar on “Gender Awareness” organised by the Sindh Directorate of Women Development on Monday that not to speak of police, even a fairly large number of judges did not have full grasp over police laws vis-à-vis women.

Mr Zahid stressed the need for specialised education, training and facilities for police to change perceptions about the department.

A woman should feel safe and secure in a police station but it was not the case in Pakistan, he said and suggested separate sections in police stations staffed with female police officials to enable women to explain their problems without any constraints.

He urged the educated women to join police force and said the investigating officers should be educated, highly trained and should have grasp over the laws especially laws on women’s rights.

Caretaker Sindh Minister for Population Welfare and Women Development Nadra Panjwani said that the country could not make any progress until women were granted equal rights in society.

Caretaker Sindh Minister for Livestock Mir Mansab Ali Jakhrani, Zila Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and District Coordination Officer Khwaja Shafique Ahmed said that the government was putting in maximum efforts for the rights of women.