ISLAMABAD, April 12: The ministry of women development, social welfare and special education has recommended establishment of separate women complaint cells in the police stations.

An official source told Dawn that the interior ministry had agreed to the recommendations of the women development ministry and a summary in this regard had already been initiated.

Under the arrangement, women intending to lodge an FIR with a police station will go to that separate cell where a women constable will facilitate her.

At present, there are only ten independent women police stations all over the country, however, the ministry is of the view that the setting up of separate complaint cells in the police stations will go a long way towards minimising the incidents of domestic violence.

The source said the interior ministry had also accepted a proposal for establishment of another 40 women police stations, however, the recom-mendation of women com-plaint cells was a major step forward.

Initially, the source said, people in the interior ministry were not comfortable with the proposals of the ministry of women development, however, advisor to the prime minister on women development Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar talked to President Musharraf in this regard. He said the ministry had also forwarded a proposal to the prime minister secretariat to increase the number of vacancies of women constables.

The ministry of women development is also contemplating establishment of resource centres at district level. Under this setup, the source said, women councillors would be sitting in these centres to listen to the problems of that area.