ISLAMABAD: A shelter for the homeless elderly women was inaugurated in Bhara Kahu on Saturday.

The shelter aims at providing safe and healthy environment to senior women and those in distress.

Chairperson, Provincial Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Neelum Toru inaugurated the shelter. It has been established by Bint-i-Fatima Old Home Trust/Shelter (BFOHT) on Raja Akhtar Road, Shahpur, Bhara Kahu.

Speaking on the occasion, Neelum Toru said more women were facing problems due to an increasing number of terrorist attacks and other accidents. She added that the government should establish more shelters for women, particularly for senior citizens, and added that younger generation should be sensitised to the plight of senior citizens.

BFOHT was founded in early 2008 in Karachi after chairperson Farzana Shoaib gave refuge to an old woman after an accident. The woman stayed in her home for five days, after which several other women requested her help.

“At that time, I felt the need to work for old and neglected women, and established BFOHT with personal resources,” Shoaib explained. The Islamabad shelter will be the first BFOHT shelter outside Karachi.

“The concept behind establishing the trust was to provide a healthy family environment to old and needy women so that they can live with respect. People should work for women who are neglected by their families,” she said.

Civil society activist Naeem Mirza said such a shelter was direly needed in the capital.

“The government should make efforts to establish such shelters and improve the condition of present shelter homes,” he said.

Hasan Shoaib, manager of the shelter, told Dawn that the shelter had been set up in a rented house and could accommodate 20 women. The Karachi shelter houses 28 women, who receive free residence and food. Civil society activists contribute to help run the trust.