HR plans to expand 'Women police station' in rural areas: Minister

Dunya News

The task of women police stations would be to investigate all such cases involving women

ISLAMABAD (APP) – Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari Monday said Ministry of Human Rights has planned to expand women police stations in rural areas of the country to ensure an easy access for women victims of violence to law and justice.

She said her ministry would launch women police stations in a typical rural areas of the country with trained officers to attend female complaints in cases ranging from domestic abuse to property disputes.

The task of women police stations would be to investigate all such cases involving women either when they were victims or accused, she added.

She said that the purpose of setting up the women police station at district levels was to provide the persecuted women in the male-dominated society a safe way to report their grievances to police.

"Women police officers in their areas will provide necessary information regarding prevention of domestic violence because prevention is the most effective way of security of the female," she added. These women police station would be fully operational and all records  facility will also be computerized, she added.

Her government is committed to ensuring empowerment of women as their participation in all walks of life is necessary for sustainable development, she mentioned. She said the government was continuously undertaking reforms so as to enable women to participate in all walks of life. She also expressed his concern on child abuse incidents in country and said all walks of society should come forward to root out this menace.

Minister said her ministry has already launched a special mass awareness drive to sensitize public about the rights of Children. After the Eidul Azha Human Rights ministry would start an awareness drive in capital at school and higher educational institutional level to raise awareness on violence against children and child protection where we will decide to train police for this purpose as well, she added.

Mazari said, Human Rights Ministry would soon launch a massive campaign to sensitize people on accessibility issues concerning persons with disabilities, rights to children and transgenders besides creating an awareness on improving facilities for them.

Minister of HR said HRM has also started awareness campaigns for women s right to inheritance and provision of free legal aid to the women. We are working with law ministry to establish a statutory body to provide legal services and assistance, especially for women through providing free of cost lawyers, she added.

She said an anti-corporal punishment bill will also be tabled soon in the parliament to discourage physical punishment and abuse at schools, as will a bill named  Zainab Alert  to stop child sexual abuse. She said the government had taken marvelous steps for welfare and progress of women in society so that they could play their effective role in the prosperity of the country.

A solid strategy has been devised to fulfill the basic needs of the masses, adding, public service agenda of PM Imran Khan would be fulfilled and no one would be allowed to hinder the journey of public service.

Minister said that the incumbent govt was working to provide best basic facilities to all its citizens and assured that deprived areas would be brought at par with the developed cities. She said that development and prosperity were fundamental rights of every citizen.

A helpline 1099 has also been launched by the Human Rights Ministry to provide free legal advice in this regard, she said , adding where almost 1000 complaints were registered daily.