KARACHI, July 25: Women development, elimination of domestic violence and rooting out menace of discriminatory attitude faced by Pakistani women, are among the top-most priorities of the government and it had evolved a comprehensive package to empower women of the country.

“Women, in general, are deprived of their just rights in the country, but some recently perpetrated acts of violence against women, owing to decades old deplorable tribal customs, have presented an alien image of the country before world community”, said federal minister for women development and social welfare, Dr. Attiya Inayatullah, she said at an awards ceremony.

The first major-general in the history of Pakistan Army, Maj-Gen. Dr. Shahida Malik, and a blind doctorate degree holding woman, Dr. Farzana Suleman Poonawala, were awarded Woman of the Year 2002 and 2001 awards respectively at the ceremony, organized by Ladies Forum Pakistan (LFP).

Speaking on the occasion, the minister informed that the government had chalked out detailed plans and evolved strategies to fill in the gap between male and female education by the end of year 2007.

In this regard, the government is planning to establish educational centres, where women would be taught by adopting non-conventional teaching techniques, she added.

To eliminate centuries old violence and gender inequality practised against local women, the ministry of women development has developed a mission statement, according to which, violence against women has been accorded “zero tolerance” status, she informed.

She said a multi-pronged strategy is also being worked out, through which a task force would be established to investigate gender inequality involving media.

Declaring domestic violence as a public issue is another salient feature of that strategy, she maintained.

Dr. Attiya opined that owing to the efforts of the government, the media and the Supreme Court, all 12 culprits involved in Meerwala gang-rape case have been arrested and they would now be tried at Anti-Terrorist Court. “They would be awarded exemplary punishment to block the reoccurrence of similar incidents in future”, she declared.

She asked the women to actively take part in coming elections and make full use of opportunities provided to them for the first time in the history of the country.

Farzana Rehman, President LFP, MD Orient S.H Hashmi, Zareen Aziz, Begum Tazeen Faridi, and award winners Dr. Farzana Suleman Poonawala and Maj-Gen Dr. Shahida Malik also spoke.—PPI