LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Senator Sirajul Haq said on Saturday that the women in Pakistan could be empowered only by granting them all the rights given by Islam and the Shariah. Addressing the Women Shoora of the JI at Mansoora on Saturday, Sirajul Haq urged the womenfolk to join the struggle for the Islamic revolution and the enforcement of the Shariah. He said that no other religion had given more rights to the women folk than Islam. He said that the elemnents working on the dictates of NGOs wanted to drive the women out of their homes and to deprive them of the protection of chaddar and chardiwari. Sirajul Haq said that the women folk comprised half of the country’s population must be given the facilities of education, health, and employment according to their ratio of their population. He said at present, the number of girls schools, colleges and universities were totally inadequate. “The government hospitals do not have sufficient number of lady doctors and adequate facilities for the women patients. Short sighted rulers kept the girls from education. No attention was given in the past to establish women educational institutions and medical colleges in far-flung areas and tribal areas,” he said. The JI chief said that no action had ever been taken against the big land lords who deprived their women folk of their right of inheritance. “The landlords generally do not timely marry their daughters for the fear of the division of their land. Similarly, banks are not ready to give loans to the widows for looking after and educating their children although they eagerly give huge loans to the billionaires who might not return the same,” he said. He urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to debar all those from contesting elections who failed to produce a certificate of having given their sisters and daughters their share of inherited property. Sirajul Haq said that the JI on coming to power, would establish separate universities and medical and engineering colleges for women. Women would be given interest free loans to start cottage industry, he said. Published in Daily Times, February 18th 2018.