Debate on women’s issues in PA
KARACHI: The Government of Sindh has failed to take any measures as regards problems confronted by women, with special reference to Human Rights violation such as domestic violence and Karo-Kari.
The matter was taken up in the last Sindh Assembly session and PPP MPA Mehreen Razzak Bhutto raised a question on the floor of the House seeking the government’s support. She provided figures regarding such violence throughout the province of Sindh. The issue was, however, not debated and was taken as read, which was construed as the government’s apathy towards the most important issue.
Over the last year-and-a-half, women belonging to different political parties proved ineffective as regards solution to their own basic problems due to the party policies.
Many of the PPP women MPAs complained that the issue of honour killings in Sindh could not be raised on the floor of the House as they lacked support of their party leaders. One of the women PPP MPAs apprised the House of the situation which boiled down to the fact that PPP women MPAs would never lend support on women’s issues, as they were the wives of Vaderas and Jagirdars who are patronising decadent traditional practices like Karo-Kari.
Despite the 33 percent participation of women in the Assembly, no joint efforts have been made to resolve the issues due to their own party policies.
Apparently, it was said that women’s attendance in the Assembly would help support women’s causes but such hopes seem to have proved absolutely futile in a male-dominated society, an obstacle which these women MPAs seem to have failed to surmount.
However, the assembly was told that as many as 213 cases of violence against women were registered all over Sindh, including Karachi. Sukkur region was the most affected where as many as 123 cases were registered entailing the murder of 68 women in Karo Kari and in domestic violence. Police apprehended 153 culprits.
According to the data provided by the assembly secretariat, 148 were issued challans and 103 are awaiting trial. Two cases were disposed of.
In Karachi 26 cases of violence were registered where 28 women were killed in domestic violence. Police apprehended 22 culprits and 18 were challaned. Another 18 are awaiting hearing.
The Hyderabad region also witnessed a considerable number of cases. Interestingly there was no case of Karo-Kari while 62 women were killed in domestic violence and 85 people were apprehended.
Fifty were issued challan for investigations which are pending. Seven cases were disposed of.
Humaira Almani, PPP MPA in the Sindh Assembly, however, complained that the Treasury benches were least interested in taking up the matter, adding that law minister, on the floor of the House, said that these were “petty issues” and that the assembly “must not waste the time” and instead, concrete measures be taken for solving other problems the province was facing.
Humaira Almani, however, told this correspondent that she raised the issue once on the floor of the House but failed to muster support even from her sister MPAs. Women legislators, she said, were reluctant to discuss the issue.
Source: The News
Date:4/28/2004
” 
” 
” 
” 
