‘NCSW protecting women’s rights’

MANSEHRA: Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women Nilofar Bakhtiar has said the commission’s effective initiatives and campaigns has significantly improved the women’s rights in the country.

“Now, women have a better understanding that they are half of the population and without their effective contribution, this country can’t be among developed nations,” she told a seminar organised by the Hazara University here on Friday.

The event titled ‘extremism of youth in national integration and peace’ was attended by academics, educationists, researchers and students.

Ms Bakhtiar, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the NCSW had helped pave the way for major changes to the laws for women’s empowerment and development.

“You are the future of Pakistan and should never follow the extreme ideologies and should help the country address economic and political challenges,” she said.

The NCSW chairperson said the commission was striving to address the issues blocking the women’s development.

“An educated woman as a mother promise the development of a family and thus, contributing to the society’s prosperity,” she said.

Director-general of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Centre of Excellence in Countering Violent Extremism Kashif Arshad said the students could play a better role to end the extreme ideology in society.

“Students should join hands with progressive forces of the country to fight extremism and violent ideology,” he said.

Source: Dawn

Woman burnt alive by former son-in-law

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A woman was burnt alive, while two others suffered burns when a man allegedly set the house of his former in-laws on fire at Basti Baba Ghreeb Shah.

Police say suspect Sultan Lashari, a resident of Bahodipur Machian, had divorced Shehnaz, 35, a few years ago. After the divorce, Shehnaz started living with her mother Gulnaz Bibi and sister Gul Basraan at Basti Baba Ghreeb Shah.

On Friday, Sultan arrived at the house of his former in-laws and set it on fire. As a result, suspect’s ex-mother-in-law Gulnaz Bibi was burnt alive in the blaze, while his ex-wife Shehnaz and her sister Gul Basraan suffered critical burns. The injured women were shifted to the Shaikh Zayed Medical College Hospital.

Police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains an FIR was being registered against the suspect after completing legal process.

Source: Dawn

Woman takes husband, in-laws to court over domestic violence

A judicial magistrate has allowed a plea of a woman seeking proceedings against her husband and in-laws for allegedly subjecting her to domestic violence.Judicial Magistrate (South) Waheed Ahmed took cognizance of the complaint moved by the victim, a resident of Bihar Colony, under the relevant sections of the Domestic Violence (Prevention & Protection) Act, 2013.

He ordered the registration of a case against the woman’s husband Ahmed Raza, brother-in-law Abdul Munaf, and mother-in-law Farida Siddique under Section 5(b), (f), (g), (j) and (o) read with Section 6 of the act and directed them to furnish a surety of Rs10,000 each. In case of failure to pay the surety, the magistrate warned, they would be taken into custody and remanded to jail.

The victim, through her lawyer Bahzad Akbar, stated that she had been residing with her husband and in-laws in a shared house since she got married six years back.

However, soon after the marriage, she found out that her father-in-law was mentally unstable and wandered around the house naked, the woman complained, adding he would also walk into her room and try to hug her, forcing her to lock herself in a bathroom.

On complaining about his conduct, she said, her husband as well as in-laws not only used abusive language but also inflicted “severe violence” on her. Fearing for her and her minor daughter’s safety, the complainant said, she left the house of her husband and began residing again with her parents.

She said her husband divorced her after she approached the court against them. The counsel for the accused denied the allegations levelled against his clients. He said the woman left the house of her husband without any plausible reason and filed a suit for conjugal rights.

Source: Pakistan observer

Accused in rape, double homicide case sentenced to death

HYDERABAD – The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Hyderabad on Friday sentenced the prime accused in a rape and double homicide case to death along with 14-year imprisonment and fine. The verdict was announced by ATC Judge Saleem Raza Baloch, who found accused Usman Bengali alias Murghi Wala guilty of raping and killing an 8-year-old girl and of fatally wounding her elder brother, 12-year-old Qadir Bux Siyal, who died a day later in the hospital.

According to the FIR, registered at GOR police station on the complaint of the deceased siblings’ father, Intizar Hussain Siyal, the two siblings had left their home around 6:00pm on July 8, 2019.

However, they went missing and the family reached out to the police. At around 11:00pm the same day, the police informed the family that Bux had been found in critically injured condition from the Airport Road.

He was shifted to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Hospital where he breathed his last on July 9, 2019. The dead body of the minor girl, which was unrecognisable due to swelling, was found two days later from Bismillah City area of Latifabad.

Earlier on Thursday, the same judge awarded capital punishment to Muhammad Siddiqui Bengali, and 7-year imprisonment to his accomplice Muhammad Hassan Tangiri for rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl.

The child’s body was buried in Millat Park. The incident’s FIR was lodged at the same GOR police station.

Source: The Nation

Government to set-up centers for prevention of violence against women

Lahore – The Punjab government has approved the action plan to set up centers for the prevention of violence against women across Punjab. This approval was given in the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business chaired by Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Cooperatives and Environmental Protection M Basharat Raja. Law Minister Khurram Shehzad Virk, Law Secretary, Social Welfare Secretary, Transport Secretary and other concerned officers attended the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Basharat Raja said that a model violence against women center (VAWC) was currently functioning in Multan, where under one roof, victimized women were getting relief, legal aid and shelter facilities

Source: The Nation