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More powers sought for women’s rights bodies

KARACHI: Speakers of a workshop asked the government to take necessary steps including giving more powers to women’s rights protection bodies, to safeguard women’s rights in the country. The workshop was organised by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) on ‘torture on women’ on Friday. Addressing the workshop, Justice (retd) Zahid Aslam Nasir said that a ‘full-time’ Commission on Status of Women/Women Inquiry Committee should be made and full-time ones should replace ad-hoc members in Federal Law Commission so that timely provision of justice to women could be ensured.

He said that a committee was formed in his chairmanship, which gave the recommendations to the government in 1996 to deal with violence against women and fake cases against innocent persons including children. Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid said during his tenure as the chief justice of Sindh High Court, he received letters from over 15,000 women and provided relief to them, but he could not to change the system. He said, “As many as 114 women are still in prisons, especially in Karachi Jail, who are given facilities better than male inmates including TV, bed and blankets”, and added “The government can further improve the situation by taking needful steps.”

He noted that saving the post of secretary in Law Commission, all other posts filled by judges and senior lawyers were ad-hoc based, which creates obstacles in formulising the recommendations. Nasir Aslam Zahid said the government could improve facilities in prisons by providing more funds. He said that due to lack of funding, many male and female prisoners could not be produced before the courts on time.
Source: The News
Date:12/30/2006