PESHAWAR, Jan 19: The campaign launched by the elected members of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against establishment of a women crisis centre here has put the NWFP government in an awkward position.

The project was jointly launched by the Department of Social Welfare, Government of NWFP, GTZ, Islamabad, and Aurat Foundation, and has been operational since Jan 1.

The campaigners against the crisis centre, including a shelter home for destitute women, have not given any plausible reason for the removal of the centre from the locality, Siddique Colony, Faqirabad, but they claimed that they would not allow the centre to function there.

The elected MNA of the MMA from the area, Shabir Ahmad Khan, and MPA, Dr Zakir have joined the campaigners and in one of their meetings they claimed that the issue would be raised in the assembly. The building for the centre was provided by the department of Zakat, Ushr and social welfare, government of NWFP.

It is learnt that the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, which has been funding the project, has conveyed to the provincial government that it might consider withdrawing from other projects in the province in case the crisis centre faced problems in its functioning.

In recent meetings with the NWFP chief minister, Akram Khan Durrani, and provincial minister for social welfare, Hashmat Khan, representatives of the ministry have raised concern over the campaign against the crisis centre. Presently, the GTZ is partner in different projects pertaining to health and education in the NWFP.

Sources told Dawn that some leaders of the Jamaat-i-Islami, a component party of the MMA, have been trying to convince their MNA not to oppose the centre as it would bring a bad name to the MMA government and would also strengthen the impression that the MMA was averse to issues of women development.

“We don’t want a women shelter home to function in our locality as it will affect the social environment here,” informed a resident of the area. He added that there is no other reason for opposing the project.

Sources privy to the whole issue informed that initially a local leader of the Awami National Party, who reside in the locality, started the campaign. Meetings were held in the local mosque. Later on, the MNA and MPA also joined the campaigners as most of them are their voters.

However, when the central leadership of ANP came to know about the situation it has warned its local leaders not to oppose any project of women development and free legal aid to destitute women.

Sources privy to the whole situation informed that Begum Naseem Wali Khan took personal interest in the issue and directed its members not to become part of any conspiracy against the centre. “ANP is a party which always raised voice for women’s rights and it will never allow its members to indulge in any anti-women development campaign,” Begum Wali has told the ANP leaders here a few days back.

The project manager of the centre, Dr Riffat Aziz, informed that the centre was having a 24-hour hotline service and women in need of support or shelter would be able to contact this centre for help and protection.