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I have served people selflessly during the last five years... I’m answerable only to Allah and the people. – Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif
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Lahore Friday, 8 March, 2013
INtErNAtIONAL WOMEN’S DAy: MOrE POWEr tO thE OthEr GENDEr! I AIMA KHOSA
NTeRNATIONAL Women’s Day is upon us. It is the one day of the year when the “other” gender is celebrated; when her mere presence in the country and world over is recognised. This International Women’s Day is a time for reflection; it is a time to realise the full meaning of the term gender inequality. International Women’s Day is not a day that is celebrated by feminists. Often, this day is not about a mere celebration. Instead, times such as these call for introspection. Pakistan’s gender make-up is as diverse as Pakistan’s ethnic and religious situation. The conditions of Pakistani women vary from one location to another. They vary from one socio-economic system to another; a woman in the tribal areas experiences an entirely different life than a woman in the urban centers. even in urban cities, the quality of life that shapes a woman is diverse; urban centers witness women ranging from fashionistas and intellectuals to prostitutes and beggars. Last year, World economic Forum ranked Pakistan was ranked among the worst countries in the world on its Global Gender Gap Report. even as this International Women’s Day is being celebrated and the importance of a woman in any society of the world highlighted, a Pakistan girl will be subjected to some of the worst kinds of atrocities humankind has invented; rape, acid throwing, honour killing, forced marriage and forced prostitution. Women’s groups across the country have complained about the government’s hesitation to take on the plight of a Pakistani woman in an attempt to bolster the country’s international image. however, the numbers speak for themselves. Last year alone, as many as 2,713 cases of violence against women in southern Punjab alone, according to a report by Awaz Foundation Centre for Development. Many of these included walking on burning coal to prove
innocence, abduction and torture after abduction, acid attacks, Panchnayat decisions and much, much more. What is even more startling is the fact that this report focused on reports from merely 15 districts and 53 tehsils. It is a startling reminder that there must be a number of unreported cases and how terrifying the overall picture could be for women in the country. This year’s official theme by the United Nations for International Women’s Day is, “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” With this promise, one wonders what measures have been taken by the Pakistani government to address women’s issues in the country – what promises were made and how many of them were kept.
Nawaz Sharif’s government was embroiled in the famous Saima Waheed scandal, due to which his government sought to implement tighter family laws to discourage love marriages, even though the Lahore high Court clearly called for amendments to the 1965 Family Laws. There were also calls by all quarters to repeal the hudood Ordinance, especially a report by the Inquiry of the Commission for Women (1997). The report indicated that the hudood Ordinance stood in contradiction of the fundamental rights of the woman. however, neither Nawaz Sharif nor Benazir Bhutto, who pledged undying support for the emancipation of women, sought the repeal of the hudood Laws. Moreover, alleviation of the women was stated as one of the 16 goals of
Pakistan 2012 Program (1997). Strangely, the document failed to mention women while listing 21 areas of interest. Much later, in 2006, General Pervez Musharraf ordered amendments to the controversial hudood Ordinance. Later that year, some progress was seen as the parliament passed the Women’s Protection Bill, repealing several clauses of the hudood Ordinances. however, many women’s groups criticised the bill, saying that this bill was only a show to portray progressive politics. The present government, as it nears the completion of its term, has little to show as successes as a democratic government seeking equality and freedom for Pakistani women. President Asif Ali Zardari’s government only passed Protection against harassment of
Crime scene: murder, robberies and arrests LAHORE STAFF RePORT
LAHORE: Workers of the Sunni Tehreek demolish statues placed in Sher Shah Wali Shrine. Murtaza Ali
wise awards nomination open LAHORE: Educationists, school managers, teachers and students from Pakistan can apply for the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) awards, which are likened to Nobel Prize in education, according to a press release issued by WISE administration. At the opening ceremony of 2013 WISE Awards Applications, Sheikh Abdulla, chairman of WISE said, “There is a lot Pakistan can teach the world”. The awards are launched by the WISE administration, Doha. Since its inception in 2009, Pakistan has failed to win any nomination in awards. The WISE opened the submission period for the 2013 WISE awards seeking out and honoring projects that solve real-world barriers to education and are ultimately creating a toolbox of best-practices in education. STAFF RePORT
A kidnapped woman, Farah Riaz, was killed on Thursday. According to details, Farah, 55, was kidnapped from the area of Ghaziabad on February 24. She was murdered, and the police arrested the suspects but did not file an FIR against them. The woman was a lecturer at Islamia College. The police arrested her driver named Mirza Salman. During investigations, he confessed to kidnapping Farah with the help of his friend Imran and murdering her later when his demands were not fulfilled. he said that after killing her, he threw her body in the Khanpur canal. Talking to Pakistan Today, CIA chief Nawaz Cheema refused to comment on the case and said they had not arrested anyone. TORTURE: Nishter Police was accused of torturing a woman named Shamin Akhtar. According to details, the police arrested Shamin on charges of housegrabbing. During investigation, the police was accused of beating the woman until she lost consciousness. According to police sources, four other women were also involved in the case. ROBBERIES: A man was injured
by robbers upon offering resistance in the area of Gawal Mandi. According to reports, robbers attempted to rob a businessman named Amir. They tried to rob him of Rs 100,000 cash and his mobile phone. When he resisted, they shot at him, took the looted material and fled from the scene. Another man was tortured by robbers for offering resistance in the area of Cantt. The robbers stole Rs 5,000 in case and fled. A robbery took place in a house situated at Rashid Colony, Ichhra. According to reports, robbers took gold worth Rs 900,000, thousands of rupees in cash and escaped from the scene. ARRESTS: The police arrested four members of Shahbaz Soni robbery gang from the area of Shalimar. The police seized a rickshaw, motorbikes, mobile phones and weapons from their possession In another report Gawal Mandi police arrested a drug dealer named Ifran and recovered half kilogram of heroin from his possession. In another report, the police raided the house of a suspected criminal named Sab and arrested 19 gamblers in hurbanpura area. The police recovered thousands rupees in cash, mobile phones and other valuables from their possession.
Women at Workplace Bill 2009 as a notable move for the protection of women. At the same time, the current government’s failure to protect women and their education led to a gruesome attack on child activist Malala Yousafzai who is currently in the United Kingdom seeking treatment after getting shot in the head. While the government showered her with prizes and awards, they carefully neglected to recognise their failure in keeping the young girl, and countless others safe in the first place. Another failure on the part of the current government to protect the women of Pakistan was when female health workers were attacked and killed during an antipolio vaccination campaign. Such failures have been recognised by human rights groups, including human Rights Commission of Pakistan (hRCP). On the eve of the International Women’s Day, hRCP Chairperson Zohra Yusuf expressed solidarity with the women who were suffering due to growing violence and various forms of discrimination. Talking to Pakistan Today, cofounder of Pakistan Feminist Watch, Nabiha Meher said, “The issue of women’s rights in Pakistan is multifaceted and many layered. Feminism in this country is not just about seeking justice and equality for women; it is also about unifying women at all levels to seek what is rightfully theirs.” Moreover, she said that feminism in Pakistan lacked one important component: unity between theoretical and practical work. Furthermore, she said that it was important to remember that the Left played a significant role in leading women’s movements all over the world and in Pakistan. According to women’s rights activist Sonia Qadir said, “At this point, one needs to ask the important question: what is a woman? Who is she?” She said that women of all races and ethnicities all over the world had fought their freedom and this struggle was evident from women’s movements in world history.
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