* Participants at event call for provision of equal rights for women.

* Say minorities, women in Pakistan treated worse than animals.


Click to view image: 'assembly'


Staff Report

LAHORE: Peace cannot prevail in the country until women are not empowered and given equal rights and respect, participants of an event called “Women Assembly on Peace and People” said on Thursday.

Organised by various rights’ groups, the event was attended by Lahore High Court Bar Association President Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal, South Asian Partnership Executive Director Muhammad Tehseen, Bushra Aitezaz, Prof Afzal Tauseef, Aurat Foundation Resident Director Nasreen Zahra, Programme Coordinator Mumtaz Mughal and Fauzia Behram.

Worse than animals: “Peace does not mean the end of a war... it symbolises the state giving equal rights and opportunities to all citizens without discrimination on the basis of colour, creed and race,” the speakers said, adding that in Pakistan, minorities and women were treated worse than animals.

“I would consider it a peaceful society if my daughter can freely go to school, to work or anywhere outside her house. Only if such a thing happened would I say that the state is fulfilling its obligation,” Tehseen said. The speakers said that women were not given equal status and that they were forced to “live like servants”. They said that in the country’s current judicial system, policing and military dictatorships were the real causes of all evils, adding that Pakistan could not progress until “these institutions are restricted to their limits and made to serve the public”.

The speakers demanded the removal of security agencies’ offices from residential areas “as they are jeopardising the lives and properties of citizens”. They also announced to organise an event at Al-Hamrah on March 22 to pass a resolution for the development of a “dream Pakistan” a day before March 23.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\12\story_12-3-2010_pg13_6