LAHORE, Nov 18: Justice Fakhrun Nisa of the Lahore High Court has directed the Home Department to make police protection available to Darul Aman within three months besides making satisfactory security arrangements for similar institutions in the province after amending the relevant rules.

A directive to this effect was issued by the judge while accepting a writ petition filed by Darul Aman superintendent Zubaida Khatoon praying for directions for adequate security arrangements for the protection of women taking shelter at the institution and grant of a subsistence of Rs20 per day per woman from the Baitul Maal.

“It is a settled principle of law that the state is responsible for safeguarding the liberty, freedom and life of an individual. It is also beyond doubt that the women who take shelter at Darul Aman face very controversial and critical situation on account of enmity between litigating parties and sometimes they are under extreme danger or apprehension of loss of life. Darul Aman, though established as a private institution, is being patronized by the Social Welfare Department and high government officials authorized to check its working for the past decade. Safety of the shelterless women is thus the responsibility of the government under the circumstances,” observed the judge while ruling out the objection of the Home Department to the establishment of a permanent police post at Darul Aman on the pretext of financial constraints.

The judge also directed that a subsistence of Rs20 per person per day be paid to Darul Aman from the Baitul Maal in case a shelterless woman taking refuge there was unable to pay it herself.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, counsel Alia Neelam, Shamsa Ali and Mian Muhammad Saeed submitted that Darul Aman had been originally established by the Anjuman Hamayat-i-Islam for providing shelter to the refugee women who had lost their near and dear ones in communal riots at the time of independence. But it was now providing refuge to women becoming shelterless on account of family disputes. There security was a primary concern for the Darul Aman management as some of them had been murdered on way to courts where they were required to be produced under the law. Meeting of the expenses of the women unable to pay the same was also a serious problem for the Darul Aman management.