ON April 17 in the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), a group of girl students of SMS Department were taking snaps in the Engineering block when an activist of a political party’s students wing came there to tell them that photography was ‘haraam’ and went ahead to beat one of the girls taking snaps by slapping and kicking her publicly, as if delivering instant justice.

The victimised girl and her family did not want to publicise the event as it would have amounted to rubbing salt into their wounds.

It is pertinent to note that a bill ‘Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill 2010’ was signed by President Asif Ali Zardari on March 10. He said: “We have to create a Pakistan where the coming generations, my daughters, can be proud of the fact that they live as equals. We will make sure that those who wish to harm the ideology of the Quaid-i-Azam, which was for equality for men and women, shall not succeed.”

The bill was aimed at providing a safe working environment. But women in IIU are being harassed right under the nose of the federal government in total disregard to the bill. Would authorities concerned do something about it on an urgent basis?

A PAKISTANI
Karachi
Source: Dawn
Date:5/6/2010