Daily Times

LAHORE: Despite drawing huge salaries, the Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) of the Punjab chief minister has failed to establish the Violence Against Women Centres (VAWC) in all the 36 districts of Punjab, as per their mandate and so far only one centre is functional in Multan since March 25, 2017, Daily Times learnt through reliable sources.

The women victims of violence had to undergo a complicated system of justice delivery even if it was to lodge an FIR against the criminal. In order to improve the justice system for women, the Provincial Assembly of Punjab had passed a Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act in 2016 which aimed at establishing an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women against violence.

Daily Times further learnt that for spearheading the PPWAVA, certain women centric reforms under the SRU were designed which included the VAWCs and Women Protection Authority (WPA). Therefore, in order to establish, maintain, monitor, govern, operate and construct protection centres in Punjab, the government established WPA in 2017 headed by SRU Director General Salman Sufi.

Sources informed Daily Times that as a part of WPA, the first VAWC was established in Multan in early 2017, whereas they were to be established all over Punjab. According the sources, the SRU and WPA were responsible for the establishment of VAWCs across Punjab through a phase-wise programme as per their mandate and those VAWCs were to provide services to ensure justice delivery to victims of violence including police and prosecution services, medical examination, collection of forensic and other evidence, provision of psychological support and rehabilitative services. Sources added that the model of Multan’s VAWC had to be replicated in the remaining 35 districts but the SRU failed to establish them elsewhere and so far, only one is functional which shows discrimination towards the victimised women in other cities/districts of Punjab. The sources mentioned that it was the negligence of SRU that resulted in the delay of establishing more centres and the matter should be inquired by the relevant authorities.

Sources further mentioned that if SRU DG Salman Sufi was drawing a handsome salary along with his staff then the SRU should have proved their work as most of their projects were half baked and incomplete. The sources further informed Daily Times that Salman Sufi had been awarded a prestigious award from the Vital Voices Global Partnership, under the chairmanship of politician and diplomat Hillary Clinton on December 5, 2017 by showcasing SRU’s efforts for eliminating violence against women and the implementation of violence against women in Punjab. Further adding to the matter, the sources said that the international organisations who were working for women’s rights were also raising questions on this negligence by SRU.

While talking to Daily Times on the same matter, Sufi was of the opinion that they would be establishing three more VAWCs in Faisalabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi in the next fiscal year that would be 2018-19. “There is no timeline yet for the establishment of the centres as we are anticipating Rs 500 million this year and the design component would start after the amount is announced,” he concluded.

Published in Daily Times, June 5^th 2018.