Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar said on Saturday the provincial government would ensure that women were protected at all places, adding that action would be taken under section 509 CrPC against those who were involved in sexually harassing women.
He told counselor for ‘Alliance against Sexual Harassment at the Workplace’ Khurshid Banu that the government considered sexual harassment of women a crime that had punishments such as fines up to Rs 0.5 million or imprisonment for three years. He said further that protection should be ensured for both genders as at times men had become a victim of harassment by women.
Iftikhar said the issue of women was extremely sensitive and it should be dealt with care. He said certain factions of the society were against women rights, adding that this situation was tragic for the society. He said the ANP stance on the rights of women was clear and party leader Bacha Khan had talked for the rights of women when no one had even thought about this issue. Bacha Khan had not only provided equal opportunities to women in education, politics and other social sectors but had also given them their rights to inheritance.
