Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the country cannot progress at its full potential as a nation until it pulls out itself from the list of most dangerous countries in the world for women through stronger legislation and its implementing mechanism.

In connection with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women being observed today (Monday) all over the world, the PPP chairman in his message said honor-killings, domestic violence, harassment at workplaces and other crimes against women were a real daub on the countries continuously failing in protection of their womenfolk.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that Sindh was leading other provinces in carrying out legislation for providing legal protection to the women. “I am told that Sindh is the only province where violence against women has been declared a criminal offence and courts are bound to decide such cases within 90 days,” he added while pin-pointing the reports that conviction ratio in cases of violence against women was merely 2.5% in the country.

He further said that PPP was pioneer of the struggle for women rights and it even elected a woman -Benazir Bhutto – as the prime minister of Pakistan, the first-ever directly elected woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world as well. She inducted women in judiciary, established First Women Bank and set up separate police stations for women besides exclusive welfare and health programmes for women, he said. Bilawal said that he has been informed that key legislation tools for ensuring protection to women were in the process in Sindh, which includes Dowry Act, marriage-related issues, Acid-throwing and harassment at workplaces. Sixty cases have been registered in Sindh province under the early-age child marriages.

The PPP chairman stressed that federal as well as other provincial governments needed to give priority to practical steps to stop violence against women so that “our country is no more among the list of most dangerous countries” in the world for women besides creating an environment of security and safeguards for them to work shoulder to shoulder with men in the nation-building.