PESHAWAR, Sept 5: The Joint Action Committee of social action groups here denounced the rape of an 11-year-old girl, which occurred only a few days ago, and asked the government to transfer the case to a speedy trials court, a press release stated on Thursday.

A meeting of the JAC, which was held here at the office of the Human Resource Management and Development Centre, also condemned the grenade attack on the office of Global Development Programme (GDP) in Bannu District and demanded the authorities to arrest the attackers as soon as possible.

According to the press release, the meeting was convened to discuss three points: Attack on GDP NGO working in Bannu; growing violence against women and children in the Province; and, the murder of an NGO worker in Akora Khattak

Over 40 organisations from Peshawar, Bannu, Nowshera, Charsadda, Abbottabad, Buner, Karak, Takhtbhai, Swabi districts participated in the meeting. The father of the 11-year-old girl, who was raped by an influential person in Tehkal Payan, participated in the meeting along with the  local elected representatives and activists.

GDP’s chairperson Mr Mian Saleemur Rehman, who was hurt in the grenade attack, briefed the participants of the meeting about the situation.

Representatives of the Aurat Foundation also presented the meeting with the report compiled by the organisation’s fact-finding  mission.

The meeting decided to hold a joint press conference on September 9 after a thorough discussion. It was also decided that each member would write to the Governor of the NWFP demanding security for the staff and property of the GDP. The meeting stressed the need for providing protection to the aggrieved family besides shifting the case to speedy trial court.