Women police station in a shambles | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Women police station in a shambles

KARACHI, Dec 22: The only women police station in the city, established with high expectations, has become a victim of indifferent attitude of authorities as it has yet to find a place on permanent basis.

The station, established in 1994, has multiple problems, including lack of proper trained staff, absence of a proper lock- up and non-availability of even a single mobile. Besides, no court Mourcher (application writer) has been appointed so far.

According to a report issued by the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), the female staff recruited for the station has not received proper training and usually performs protocol duty.

“One can easily gauge the standard of staff from the fact that they don’t even know how to write an FIR,” it states. Besides, no permanent building has been allocated for the women police station since it was established in a make shift building at the time of its inauguration. The station has been shifted to Civil Line Police Station after changing a number of places in the last nine years.

The report mentions that violent crimes against women are increasing day by day and current situation demands an efficient women police force, however, the current state of women police station reveals that the authorities are least concerned with the problems being faced by women.

“The women police station was established to make the process of lodging complaints easier for women, however, the idea has turned out only as a fond dream,” the report adds.

LHRLA Chairman Zia Ahmed Awan said that the problems confronting women had never been given a serious thought and added that conditions of women police station was an ample proof of negligence on part of the government.

He maintained that it had been repeatedly suggested to the department concerned that there should be a separate cell for policewomen in all police stations of the city instead of having a separate women police station.

Official concerned in women police station, when approached, had the same consideration. She said that the only women police station of the city was passing through a very critical time.

The official said that major problem confronting them was the non- availability of mobile unit, which was causing immense hardships to reach the spot in case of any emergency. -PPI

Source: Dawn
Date:12/23/2003