ISLAMABAD, March 20: President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday reaffirmed his commitment to the cause of women's emancipation and emphasized the need for political and economic empowerment of women to give the country a progressive image.

He was speaking at a function organized in connection with the International Women's Day by the federal ministry of women development, social welfare and special education.

At this function, he also announced remission in women prisoners' term.

"With the presence of 40,000 women councillors in the local governments and reservation of 17 per cent seats for women in the National Assembly and Senate they have been politically empowered", President Musharraf claimed.

"However, as far as their (women's) economic empowerment is concerned the ground realities are not encouraging and they still have to go a long way to secure their basic rights," he said.

Now, it's all up to the women councillors and women legislators, both at the national and provincial levels, to use their new-found role for the uplift of their gender throughout the country, the president underlined.

"I accept the presence of gender discrimination in our society where women are considered lesser beings and not provided level playing field at par with their male counterparts", he said.

Referring to the International Women's Day, Gen Pervez Musharraf said, it reminded women of the present age of the need of collective struggle for achieving their rights.

President General Musharraf said that, fortunately, the rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the country was not alarming. However, "we have to make it sure that its virus didn't spread in Pakistan".

During his speech the president also criticized the customs of honour killings, Wani and Karo Kari.

"No civilized society can allow such practices, hence the government is taking every possible measure to curb these social evils and has already declared honour killing a murder", he said.

He also came hard on the parents who didn't provide education to their female children.

The president on the occasion also announced total remission in sentences to female prisoners who were 60 years of age or above and have undergone at least one-third of their sentence of imprisonment, except those involved in homicide and terrorist acts.

And special remission of one year to female prisoners who are accompanying children and serving sentence of imprisonment for crimes other than murder and terrorist acts.

Total remission has been given to juvenile convicts (under 18 years of age) who had served one-third of their substantive sentence except those involved in homicide and terrorist acts, he said.

The first lady of Pakistan, Begum Sehba Musharraf, members of parliament, 300 women councillors from all over the country, prominent women from various walks of life, and schoolgirls also attended the function.